The Second Summer of Love: Fourteen Years Later
by Refboarder
Summary: Sequel to "The Second Summer of Love" Takes place 14 years later but, 9 months before the Epilogue & leads up to it. Charlie & Raychel's tale. Revolves around them so parts won't make sense unless 1st book is read. Ch.11's UP, Ch.12's WIP. RE-CONTINUED!
1. Chapter 1

**The Second Summer Of Love:**

**Fourteen Years Later...**

by Refboarder

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**You Tell A Tale**

Our names are Raychel Martha and Charlie William; Thurston. We're the son and daughter of Renton and Eureka Thurston. We're fraternal twins and today is our fourteenth birthday. I, Charlie, have brown hair like my father and amethyst eyes like my mother. On my back is a pair of green butterfly-like wings with red spots, a genetic trait from my mother. I, Raychel, have teal hair like mother (which I always have in a side-ponytail) and blue eyes like father. While I lack wings like my brother and mother, I did inherit a green bead on my forehead. The beads on our forehead are another trait we all share. We're just your average teenagers. Perfectly normal, right?

"Happy birthday, kids!" That's Dominic, a friend of our parents. Next to him is his wife, Anemone. Their 13 year old daughter, Lily, is our best friend. She has brown eyes like her father and her hair is lavender with pink highlights. There's a bead on each of their foreheads too. But, Lily's is lemon yellow. We were told that our parents and hers didn't always beads on their foreheads and that mother didn't always have wings. Something about the beads being a gift from the Scub Coral. Only we, our parents, Lily, and her parents share this trait. We don't know why though. All we know is that Dominic and Anemone are like uncle and aunt. We may not be related by blood but, they're family to us and that's all that matters, right?

"Yeah dudes, happy fourteenth!" That's James but, everyone calls him 'Moondoggie'. He's hilarious. His wife is Gidget and they're our god-parents. Doggie and Gidget are like older brother and sister figures to our folks. "Thanks for finding time in your schedules to visit the twins today, brother." said father gratefully. "Whatcha talking 'bout, little bro? There's no way I'd miss their B-day!" he stated with a big grin. Uncle James rustled Charlie's hair.

_Charlie_  
"What you place?" I asked referring to the last lift tournament. Doggie was a pro refboarder. "First, naturally, lil' man!" he boasted. _Man, I must have the coolest god-father on Earth!_ I high-fived him. "You're so awesome, uncle!" I exclaimed. He just chuckled. "Thanks dude, you're not bad yourself. In fact, you and Raychel are the best surfers I know. You can do tricks I've never even heard of! You two are way better at that stuff than even your old man." he said whole-heartedly. Father laughed, "Hey, I'm not that old." Sis and I blushed.

_Raychel_  
"Y-you really think so?" I inquired still blushing. "Definitely." assured aunt Gidget. _She's so gorgeous!_ I've always looked up to her. "Hey, you wanna go surfing with us later?" I asked her hopeful. She smiled. "Sure thing, kiddo." aunt answered. I grinned from ear-to-ear and thanked her. Gidget just shook her head. "It's your birthday, squirt. That's your wish isn't it? Surfin' with your aunt and uncle, huh?" inquired Doggie. Bro and I nodded. "Then that's what we'll do." stated Gidget. I thanked them again. "Stop being so formal. It's your birthday. Loosen up, have fun, and party to your hearts content." suggested aunt Anemone. "Yeah!" agreed Lily. My brother and I looked each other in the eyes. We must've been thinking the same thing, _"They're right, let's enjoy ourselves,"_ because we both smiled and nodded our heads in sync.

_Twins_  
Our parents placed birthday hats on us. _Yeah, we know we're getting a little old for stuff like that but, they're our folks. We love them so, we'll humor them for today. _Mom lit the candles on the cake and everyone began singing, _"Happy Birthday"_ to us. When they finished the song dad told us to make a wish and blow out the candles. We closed our eyes, thought long, and hard. _What could we wish for that we didn't already have? Hmm... new surfboards/refboards? Clothes? Motorbikes? A LFO of our own? Yeah, that sounds good. A LFO of our very own. Maybe a Guardian or Terminus! So it's a little far-fetched but, like we said, 'There wasn't much we didn't already own, right?'_ We opened our eyes and blew out the candles. They cheered and applauded us. Our faces turned red again.

"So, what was it? Your wish?" Lily asked us as mother cut the cake. Anemone helped her distribute pieces to our guests. "A LFO." we whispered to our friend. Lily chuckled. "Jeez, big enough?" she jested referring to the wish. "We have just about everything we could ever want. What else was there?" stated Raychel. "How 'bout a pet Skyfish?" she suggested. Lily was being sarcastic. It was illegal to keep Skyfish as pets. Our parents were the ones whom suggested that law. (For as long as we could remember, everyone we've ever known or met, has held our parents with the upmost respect. We've even heard them addressed as Renton-_dono_ and Eureka-_sama_ before. When they speak, others around listen and take their words to heart. But, it always seems like a hassle in their eyes. Mother and father just shrug off the attention, always requesting to be treated like average members of society.)

Charlie laughed at Lily's joke. "Well, fourteen is the legal age to pilot your own LFO." he stated with a matter-of-fact tone. "So we figured, why not?" added Raychel. "Maka and Hei already got licenses for their Scub Bike Kais." mentioned Charlie.

Maka and Hei are two of our school friends. Maka's 14th birthday was three months ago and Hei's was last week. Maka is the daughter of Winry, a girl papa knew from high school. Hei is the son of Eileen, another girl he knew. We have another friend, Ayato, his mother, Cheza is yet another acquaintance of our papa. Father must've been popular with the ladies or something to know so many girls. At least that's what we think sometimes. We don't know for certain, the topic's never risen. Anyway Maka, Hei, Ayato, and each of their folks have always been fun to hang with. After school we always head over to Hillside Hope Park for some lifting on our boards. _(That's what we call it anyway. It's full name is 'Renton Thurston Hillside Hope Park'. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. We have an entire park named after our father. Kinda embarrassing, isn't it?)_

Lily shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe your wish will come true. Scub Bike Kais are fairly cheap. You can get some decent deals on used Wild Boars too." she informed us. "We were kinda hoping for maybe a Guardian or Terminus." said Raychel. Lily burst out laughing. "Do you even know how much those series cost?! There's no way your folks can afford them on their salary!" she stated. Our father works as a mechanic at our family's LFO repair shop. Just like his father; our grandpa, Adrock (whom resides within a parallel universe) did, and his father; our late granddad, Axel, before him. Three generations of Thurstons. We, the fourth generation, will inherit 'Garage Thurston' next. "You're right, what were we thinking?" chuckled Charlie.

_Charlie_  
"Hey son, what's so funny?" asked father as he handed sis, Lily, and I each a piece of cake. I took a bite of the cake and swallowed. "Nothing. We were just chattin' 'bout LFOs that's all." I replied casually. "Ah, 'cus now you an your sister can legally pilot one now that you're fourteen. Am I right?" he guessed. "Yeah." replied sister. Father turned to mother. She nodded. _Alright, what were they scheming?_

_Raychel_  
"You want to open your presents now?" suggested mother. I nodded. "These are from Doggie and I." stated Gidget as they handed us two packages. We tore the wrapping off and opened them... _Helmets?_ Charlie and I were puzzled. _Um... 'kay. What are these for?_ Lily bought me a new pink ribbon for my hair. _Aright, at least her gift makes sense._ Her parents explained that our gifts were outside. Brother and I scurried out the door. Our eyes lit up. "Motorbikes!" we squealed. "Your father and I spent our entire weekend tuning them." stated Dominic.

_Twins_  
We hugged Anemone and Dominic tightly. "Thanks a bunch aunt Nemy and uncle Dom!" we cheered. "You're very welcome." replied aunt. "I bet those helmets we got you make sense now." said Doggie slyly. We laughed out loud. _Yeah, they sure do._ Mom and dad tossed us the helmets. "Take 'em for a spin. I can see you want to." suggested father. "We'll give you your present later. You ride your new bikes." said mother. _They didn't need to tell us twice. We were already on them._ "Hey Lily, hop on the back!" hollered Charlie over the roar of the engine. "Can I mom?" she pled. "Sure, both bikes have an extra helmet under their seat." her mother replied. Charlie lifted up his seat. Sure enough, there was another helmet. Lily put it on. "Be careful!" instructed mother. We stated that we would and reeved our engines. With that said, we took off for the dirt mounds. We already knew where we wanted to try out our presents first. There were some pretty sweet manmade jumps in the Belle Forest, that was our destination. We left a cloud of dirt and dust behind us.

_Ten Minutes Later..._

_Charlie_  
"THIS...IS...SO...RAD!!!" I hollered as I hit the dirt jump. "YAHOO!" screamed Lily in my ear. My bike flew through the air. I felt the cool breeze against my cheeks. _Man, I could do this all day!_ My wings caught the trapar causing Lily and I to soar even higher for a brief moment. I was having the time of my life. The tires hit the ground and the suspension jolted. Dad and uncle Dom had done a superb job fine-tuning our motorbikes.

_Raychel_  
I was right behind brother as I hit the mound next. I must've been at least 15 ft. off the ground. _What a sensation!_ I twisted the handlebars side-to-side in mid-air. A simple trick for a newbie. The wheels touched down. _Wow, I can't believe I just did that!_ "Sweet trick, sis!" called Charlie. We rode to a clearing offside the track and killed the engines. I removed my helmet and shook free my hair. "Thanks!" I told him. He and Lily removed their helmets too. Charlie wiped the beads of sweat from him brow while Lily took a moment to catch her breath. "That was awesome!" she finally said.

_Twins_  
We sat leaned our backs against the fence's railing. Lily tossed us some water bottles. "Thanks, Lil." said Charlie. We sipped at the drink. _Man, that's refreshing._ "So, wanna head back?" suggested Lily. We nodded. Good call. The sun was at it's peak in the sky and the heat was stifling.

Ten minutes later we were back home. "Looks like you had fun." chuckled Doggie pointing to our clothing. _Huh?_ We looked at ourselves. _Oh, I see what he means now_. We were a muddy mess! "Oh yeah!" cheered Charlie. "It was a blast!" exclaimed Raychel. "Thanks again aunt Nemy and uncle Dom!" we said gratefully. "We absolutely love our presents!" we stated. Our uncles and aunts smiled.

"There's one last gift for you. This is from your father and I." said mother. Father handed us a wooden box with peculiar symbols on it. "What is it?" we inquired. "Open it and find out." instructed father. We lifted the lid and our eyes widened. _It was the Compac Drive to our parents' Nirvash, the typeHOPE! _We knew it belonged to HOPE for the Amita Drive was attached to this Compac. _Wait a second, that means!_ "You're giving us HOPE?!" we exclaimed. "That's right, she's yours now. Happy birthday, Charlie and Raychel!" our folks said cheerfully. _This was, without a doubt, our best birthday ever!_

"Wow! You get the HOPE! She's way better than any Guardian or Terminus. Her specs rival every LFO in the world. Oooo... I'm so jealous." stated Lily. Her parents chuckled along with uncle and aunt. "Can we try her now? _Please?"_ we pled. We couldn't stand still, the suspense was killing us. "Sure, why not. Knock yourselves out, we already registered you." dad informed us. "Here you go." said mom giving us our licenses. "This is just too cool!" stated Charlie. "Thank you _soooo _much mother and father!" said a grateful Raychel. Mama and papa smiled.

For the remainder of the day we lifted in our Nirvash. _Our_ Nirvash. _God, I love the way it rolls off the tongue. Don't you?_ HOPE was ours now and she was dancing elegantly for her new owners. The glimmer of the Compac shone brighter and brighter with each passing minute. Lily, whom was sitting in the back seat suggested we do a Cut-back Drop-Turn. "Alright." we nodded in agreement. "CUT-BACK...DROP-TURN!" we hollered performing the maneuver. _What a adrenaline rush, we absolutely loved it! _It was something we couldn't convey into words nor compare. We had never felt this way before in our entire lives! There wasn't a dull moment and we would've lifted all day had it not gotten so late.

Nirvash typeHOPE returned to the garage just before sunset. We'd been gone for hours. But, like they say, _"Time flies when you're having fun."_ As soon we landed we leapt out of the LFO and ran to our parents. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," we repeated over and over again embracing them. There were tears of joy in our eyes. We were that happy. "You're very, very, very, welcome." replied mother. "Hey, since it's your birthday how 'bout some late night surfing? I'll let you stay up for as long as you like tonight. No bedtime. How's that sound?" said father. "Hooray!" we replied.

_Fifteen minutes later..._

_Charlie_  
We arrived at Niji Beach. The waves were looking _'choice'_ tonight. _Yeah, I can already tell tonight's gonna be rad._ The sea was calling and I answered, "Surf's up!" Sis, Lily, Doggie, and Gidget dove in. Our parents and Lily's chose to stay behind on the sand. Sis and I gave uncle and aunt a few surfing pointers. I caught a huge wave and hollered, "Wa-hoo!," as I nailed a Roundhouse Cutback.

_Raychel_  
Lily and I gleamed the tube. "Hey, wanna ride to school tomorrow?" I asked her. "Sounds good to me." she replied. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gidget wipe out. Doggie swam over to help her back on the board. Gidget laughed at herself. Aunt had never been good at sports. Mom, dad, Nemy, and Dom were watching us from the beach. They were chatting about something but, I couldn't hear them over the crashing waves. _Meh...whatever._ I returned to my surfing.

_Parents_  
"So far, so good." said Renton. "Huh?" went Dominic. "The Vodarac Prophecy, remember?" explained Eureka. "Right, we'd almost forgotten." recalled Anemone. "Maybe it was a hoax?" hoped Dominic. "Or maybe it's because Lily's still thirteen. Her birthday isn't for another nine months." Anemone reminded her husband. They all sighed.

"Let's change the subject." suggested Dominic. "Passing down your Nirvash to the next generation was the best gift a parent could give their children." he stated. "Yeah, we thought so too and that's why we did it." informed Eureka. "Their voice reaches her just like ours and they can hear her too." mentioned Renton. "That's wonderful." remarked Anemone. "Speaking of Nirvashs, we've already discussed it and, we're giving Lily our Nirvash for her fourteenth birthday too." stated Dominic. Eureka smiled. "It looks like HOPE and TheBEGINNING are will be together forever doesn't it, dear?" she said to her husband. Renton kissed her forehead. "It sure does." he replied. The parents continued to watch their children surf.

_Some hours later..._

_Twins_  
It was a little after 1:30 A.M. when we decided to call it a day. We left Niji Beach and walked home. What a day, huh? Lily yawned. We were all tired. "Hey Mom, Dad, is it alright if I sleep over at uncle Renton and aunt Eureka's tonight?" she requested. "Why don't you ask them?" suggested Anemone. Lily turned to our parents. "May I please?" she asked politely. "Sure, we don't mind." replied mother. "Then it's fine by us." stated Dominic. Lily thanked them. _Sweet, Lily's spending the night._

We arrived home. _It's good to be back._ Doggie and Gidget left. "Later, take care of yourselves." we waved. Dom and Nemy went back to their house, which was next to ours. Lily told her parents, "Goodnight." Mom and dad laid out a futon for her in our room. We got into bed and pulled the covers over us. "G'night mom. G'night dad." we told them. "Goodnight Mr. and Mrs. Thurston." said Lily. Mother and father chuckled. "Goodnight, sleep tight, kids." replied father. Mother turned the light switch off and closed the door behind them as they left.

_Charlie_  
I yawned again as I stared up at the ceiling. "Thanks for coming over today." I said to Lily. "No problem, Chuck. Thanks for having me over." she replied yawning.

_Raychel_  
"Thanks again for the ribbon, Lil. I'm gonna wear it to school tomorrow." I told her. "You're welcome, Raych." she responded. I yawned again. "G'night guys." I said to them. "G'night." answered brother and Lily. _Tomorrow's gonna be awesome._ We closed our eyes, drifted asleep, and dreamt.

_Twins_  
We visited that place again. The plane that only we, our parents, Lily, and her parents could go while asleep. The other plane of existence, the Coralian Universe.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: CALLED TO THE OTHER SIDE, WE ARE GREETED BY SOME FAMILIAR FACES. BUT FOR WHAT REASON HAVE THEY BECKONED US? IS IT TO FINALLY REVEAL TO US THE MEANING BEHIND THE VODARAC PHOPHECY OUR PARENTS WERE INFORMED OF SO LONG AGO? CHAPTER 2: DREAM ON  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
Dream On**

_Dream scape..._  
There were sakura trees for as far as the eye could see. We were in a meadow surrounded by flora. Our grandfather, Adrock, stood next to our aunt, Diane. Beside them were Anemone's parents/Lily's grandparents, Rosa and Fen Sexa. _(Author's Note: Rosa, is derived from the blue Rose flower meaning, Mystery/attaining the impossible; Fen, is derived from Fennel flower meaning, Strength; Sexa is derived from the Latin word for Six. If you have/haven't seen the movie, Pocket Full of Rainbows, Anemone is sometimes referred to as Number Six)_ Next to the Sexas were Norb and Sakuya. Sakuya was a humanoid Coralian just like mother. Norb was Sakuya's husband, though they were never officially married. The concept of marriage wasn't really an issue within this plane. In the distance was Will and Martha Baxter's house. They're the ones were our middle names derive. On the hilltop was Gonzy, the Coralian Control Cluster, standing underneath one of the sakura trees, sipping green tea.

"Happy 14th birthday." said Adrock and Diane. We smiled. It was good to see them again. Visits to this plane of existence had grown farther and farther apart as of late. So, this trip was a rarity. "It's been awhile." said our father behind us. "Hey son." our grandpa answered. "They get taller every time we see them." stated Diane. _She must've been referring to us. _"Yeah, Charlie's almost as tall as me now." said our mother. "How you been, Eureka?" asked Sakuya. "I've been well. And you?" replied mother. "We've been fine." answered Norb.

"Visiting this place never gets old." sighed Dominic happily. "Look mom, anemones and lilies!" exclaimed his daughter pointing to some flowers. "You're right. Pretty aren't they?" replied her mother smiling. "I felt like my garden could use a pleasant change of pace from the usual blue roses. Also, I thought it be a nice touch for your visit." stated Rosa. "Welcome back." greeted Fen. "Hi grams and gramps." responded Lily.

_Charlie_  
"We haven't seen you since last year." I stated. "Yeah, what gives?" added sis. "Forgive me, I've been busy with preparations." replied Gonzy coming down from the hill. "Preparations for what, Gonzy?" inquired mother? Gonzy stared at her stunned. "Don't look at me like that." she instructed. "Why, for the prophecy of course!" he answered in 'obviously' tone. "I don't suppose you'll finally tell us the meaning behind the prophecy this time?" inquired father. "Nope." replied Gonzy mischievously. Our parents and Lily's parents sighed. "I didn't think so." sighed father again.

_Raychel_  
"So then, what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" asked Dominic in an irritable tone. _He obviously still didn't like being kept in the dark after all this time. I understood his feelings. After all, the prophecy pertains to brother, Lily, and myself from what I was told. Having his child's destiny predetermined must be weighing on him._ "We wanted to throw the twins a party." stated aunt Diane. My eyes lit up. "Seriously?" I inquired. "Yes." replied grandpa. "Th-thank you." I stammered. Will invited us inside the house. "Please, have a seat everyone." said Martha with a smile. "You called us here just 'cus it was our birthday?" I blushed taking a seat at the kitchen table among our family and friends. "Correct." stated Gonzy.

_Twins_  
"That was nice of you, Gonzy. Isn't it kids.?" said mother. We nodded, then bowed our heads respectfully to our party-throwers. "Thank you for having us over." replied Lily and us grateful. "You're welcome," grinned Gonzy, "Care for some tea?" he suggested. "Yes, please." we answered. A tea set appeared on the table out of thin air. "No matter how many times I see you do stuff like that, I still haven't gotten use to your um... _magic tricks._" stated Dominic. We sipped our tea. "It's a shame Maurice, Linck, and Maeter can't visit here too." sighed mother looking at her reflection in the tea. _They're our adopted older brothers and sister._ "I know honey, I know." responded father placing his hand atop mother's to comfort her. This fact always really bothered her. Mom wants them to meet their grandfather, Adrock, and aunt, Diane very badly. "Cheer up, Eureka. Very soon that won't be an issue, 'kay?" Sakuya informed her. "Huh?" went Anemone. "You'll figure out what she means when the prophecy's fulfilled." stated Norb. "I hate riddles." grumbled Dominic.

We could sense tension within the room. "Err... How about we bring our guest some snacks, Martha?" suggested Will. "Good idea. Excuse us, we'll be right back." stated Martha pardoning herself. _They must've sensed it too_. Lily leaned over to whisper in our ears, "I don't like the aura in here. There's gotta be something we can do, right?" she said quietly. _Hmm... something to ease the tension._ Charlie snapped his fingers suddenly. "Wait, I have an idea." he stated. "Good, care to share it with us?" said Lily. "Just follow my lead, okay?" he instructed. "Alright, brother." responded Raychel.

_Charlie_  
"Hey Gonzy, would it be alright if we made a birthday wish?" I requested. "Certainly." he replied. "Can it be anything? Anything at all?" I asked. "Um... as long as it's within my power then, yes I suppose." he stated. _Good, I have him exactly where I wanted him._

_Raychel_  
_Ah, I see where brother's heading with this. Very clever._ I could see a smirk on his face out of the corner of my eye. "Then our wish is this: We want you to tell us, in _full _detail, the _true_ meaning behind the prophecy." I stated. _We had Gonzy cornered and he knew it. _The Coralian chuckled. "You've certainly raised clever children, Eureka and Renton. They've done me in by using my own words against me. I've no choice but to tell you now." he complimented mother and father. Wily grins formed on Lily's and our parents' faces.

_Twins_  
Gonzy sighed then, cleared his throat. "Raychel, Charlie, and Lily, are gatekeepers." he told us. "We're... gatekeepers?" we repeated confused. "Yes, you three hold the key to uniting our worlds." he pointed to the gems on our foreheads. We felt our gems, stunned. _Our gems are keys? _"Charlie, Raychel, as of today your gems have activated." he added. _Activated? _"But, why now? Why didn't they activate years ago, Gonzy?" inquired Charlie. The old Coralian turned serious. "Your bodies needed to mature before the power could be used. If you had used it years ago, then your own power might've very well killed you." he stated. _Woah, our power is that dangerous?_

He turned to address Lily. "In nine months, yours will activate, Lily." he told her. "So in other words, my birthday, right?" she asked. "Correct but, there's more. Your lemon bead is the most crucial piece of all." he stated. "Why is mine so important?" inquired Lily. "Because, neither of your parents are Coralian. Your parents' beads are the result of them and their Nirvash, TheBEGINNING, being dowsed in the Light of Kings from Nirvash, typeHOPE, long ago." he explained. "They're an evolution of what's possible when two individuals' hearts join as one." he added.

Now he turned to address her parents. "Dominic, Anemone, it was your undying love and devotion for another, combined with the Light of Kings, that enabled your Nirvash to access the Satori Program without an Amita Drive and gave you those beads." he explained to them. "So _that's_ why we experienced the Seventh Swell phenomenon during the Battle of Ciudades del Cielo." realized Dominic. "You were right, Dominic. Our love _did_ have something to do with it." recalled Anemone. Lily's parents smiled, pleased with themselves.

"Gonzy, where is the gate located?" inquired mother. "The Great Wall." he answered. Gonzy turned to address us again. "Raychel, Charlie, on the eve of Lily's fourteenth birthday go with her to the Great Wall. We'll be there waiting to cross over. If you don't the gate will remain locked forever. Do not forget these words: As gatekeepers, you three alone can reunite the entire world with their lost loved ones." he instructed us. _He wants us to be responsible for reuniting the world?! Woah, what a burden to shoulder!_ "N-no pressure, huh? Heh-heh." chuckled Charlie nervously. "R-right, n-no biggie." added Raychel nervous too. _Who knew we held such an incredible power within us?!_

"Well, there you go, that's every detail just as you wished. I had wanted it to remain a surprise until the chosen day but, at least I fulfilled your birthday wish. Oh well, happy birthday." said Gonzy with a smile. Father glared at him with ferocity. "Now wait just a damn minute! _That's_ you reason for not telling us all these years?! For it to be a surprise?!" demanded father. _Damn, dad's pissed!_ "Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights we've endured due to stress!" bellowed Anemone. _Looks like aunt isn't amused either._ "We've worried since the day we heard this prophecy! You refused to tell us over something as ridiculous as, _'I wanted it to be a surprise'?!_ That's inexcusable, Gonzy!" hollered mother. _You too mom?_ "S-sorry, I had no clue it upset you this much." apologized the old Coralian.

_Even uncle Dominic was furious however,_ "I think what they're trying to say is; Even though the prophecy turned out to be something for the better, you had no right to make us worry about our children. I doubt you know what a parent goes through when it concerns their child's sake." he explained while trying to maintain a calm tone in his voice. Gonzy bowed his head apologetically. "You're right, I don't know. Forgive me, it was an unwise decision." he apologized again. Our parents face palmed. "Alright, apology accepted." replied mother. "Just don't make the same mistake twice, 'kay?" ordered Anemone. Their husbands nodded in agreement. "I won't, I promise." stated Gonzy. "Good." said Dominic.

"Um...sorry we took so long. We didn't want to interrupt." said a voice. It was Martha. She and her husband had returned with the snacks. "Plus, we wanted to steer clear of the flames." added Will. _He was referring to our folks obviously._ "Sorry we lost our tempers." apologized mother. The Baxters placed the snacks on the table. "Meh, no big deal, it was perfectly understandable. It's only natural for a parent to worry." stated grandpa. "Thanks." said our father to his own.

_Charlie_  
I raised my hand. "Is there like, I don't know, some sorta ritual we'll need to perform." I inquired. Rosa shook her head. "Nope. All you need to do is be there." stated Sakuya. "That's it?" asked sis shocked. "Yep." replied Norb. _Phew, at least it's simple_. "Alright then, I'll do it." I decided. "Same here." said sis. "You can count me in too." added Lily. "We won't let you down." sis, Lily, and I swore. "We'll hold you to that promise." stated Fen.

_Raychel_  
I turned to mother, I had just realized something. "Hey, this is great news mama! Now we know that our older brothers and sister will get to meet grandfather and aunt Diane!" I told her. Mother smiled happily. "You're right, Raychel." she said still smiling. "I couldn't be prouder of you kids than I am now. You're given your mama and I the greatest gift of all; a chance for your siblings to finally meet their relatives. Thank you so much." father told brother and I sincerely.

_Twins_  
"Is there anything else you want to do? We didn't throw you a party just to converse about the prophecy." inquired Diane. "I'd like to see a Luna-Crystal Flower." stated Lily. "A Luna-Crystal Flower?" we repeated. "Uh-huh. Maka told me about them in class. It's supposed to be this legendary flower. They only bloom during a lunar rainbow. It's said that Luna-Crystal flowers are the most beautiful in on Earth." she explained. "But, there's no such thing as a lunar rainbow... is there papa?" asked Raychel. Father shrugged. "I've never seen a Luna-Crystal Flower nor a lunar rainbow. That what makes them legends." he stated.

"Still, a Luna-Crystal Flower does sound pretty though and I wouldn't mind seeing a lunar rainbow either." remarked Anemone. "So would I." voiced mother. "I could show you both if that's your wish." mentioned Gonzy. "Huh?! You can do that?!" exclaimed Lily. "It's within my power, yes." he responded. "We'd love that, will you please?" requested Raychel. "Very well." he said.

And just like that, it was nightfall. "You never cease to amaze us, Gonzy." remarked Dominic. We went outside, there was a full moon with a lunar rainbow. _So pretty._ "And there's your Luna-Crystal Flower." he stated pointing to a pink flower bud. Everyone walked towards the flower to get a closer look. "Now watch carefully." instructed the wise old man. The flower begun to bloom. "Amazing! It's so pretty!" remarked Raychel. A closer examination revealed crystal-blue seeds which sparkled in the moonlight. "Keep watching, here comes the good part." he told us. "Huh?" went Charlie.

Not a second later, a blue beam of light shot forth upward from the seeds. The event caught us of guard, we certainly didn't expect _that_ to happen. "Woah!" we shouted. Afterward the flower withered leaving behind only the crystal-blue seeds. We and Lily picked up the seeds. _Pretty._ "Hey Gonzy, would it be alright if we kept these?" we requested. "Sure, consider them a gift from the Scub Coral." he answered. We thanked him.

"Well, our times up." he informed us. _In other words, we'd be waking up soon_. "Aww, already?" we protested. "We'll see you again on Lily's birthday." the Sexas reminded us. "Alight." we sighed disappointed. "Take care, little brother." said Diane to father. "See you later, son." added grandpa. "Farewell." said Will and Martha. "Bye-bye." went Sakuya and Norb. We responded with, "Sayonara."

Moments later the Thurstons and Sorels awoke from their slumber. Raychel, Charlie and Lily opened the palms of their hands, revealing the Luna-Crystal Flower seeds within them.

_(Author's Note: The Luna-Crystal Flower is derived from the movie, Pocket Full of Rainbows. In the movie it's leftover seeds were fashioned into pendents. However, I changed the legend behind the flower to better fit my story; The lunar rainbow is derived from Inu-Yasha.)_

_

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER: IT'S OFF TO SCHOOL. CARLIE GETS A SPECIAL THANK YOU FROM LILY. AFTER SCHOOL, WE DECIDED TO TURN OUR CRYSTAL-BLUE SEEDS INTO JEWERY. CHAPTER 3: TEENAGERS_  
_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
Teenagers**

We washed our faces and got dressed for school. "Hey mom, have you seen my messenger-bag?" yelled Charlie. "It's in you closet." mother shouted. "Thanks mom." he hollered. "I can't find my hand-bag." stated Raychel. "Did you check your dresser drawer?" suggested mother. "Found it! Thanks mom." she relayed. Lily was at the kitchen table eating breakfast with our and her folks. The Sorels had come over to join us for bacon, eggs, and toast. We overheard them chatting.

"What? You want to get a part-time job?" repeated Dominic. "Yeah, I wanna save up enough money to buy my own LFO." explained Lily. "But, you're still in middle school, Lily." protested her mother. "I know but, next year I'm gonna be a freshman in high-school and I don't want to still take the bus." she told her parents. "What about the motorbikes? I'm sure the twins won't mind giving you a lift." suggested mother. "We won't be able to use them when winter comes around." responded Lily. "She's got a point there, dear." said father to mother.

We sat down at the table to eat breakfast. "Maybe Holland and Hap will let you work at the _'Gekko-Go Ref Shop'_ here." suggested Charlie. _They owned a chain of ref shops and one of them just happened to be in Belle Forest._ "Hey, that's not a bad idea! Thanks Chuck!" said Lily. "I don't know about it. What do you think, honey?" Dominic asked his wife. "This might be a good opportunity for her to learn some responsibility." voiced Anemone. "Aww, come on. Please daddy?" pled their daughter. Lily had him hook, line, and sinker the moment she said _'daddy.' _"Alright but, on one condition. You don't purchase the LFO without consulting you mother and I first even after you have enough money." instructed Lily's father. "Deal!" she replied happily _(Author's Note: Lily doesn't know she's getting TheBEGINNING for her birthday. This is why her parents don't want her purchasing a LFO without them. It's a little trick my own parents used to teach me responsibility. As a reward, my parents bought me what I'd been saving up for and I was able to use the money I earned to buy whatever I wanted. Clever, huh?)_

_Charlie_  
"Hey Chuck?" went Lily playfully. "Yeah?" I replied. Lily started leaning in towards me. This made me feel uncomfortable. "W-wait Lil, w-what are you doing?" I asked her nervous. Her face was very close to mine now. I could smell her hair. My heart was racing and my face was flushed. _*Gulp*_ Just then... _*smooch*_. Lily kissed me on the cheek! "Thanks." she said with a smile. "N-no problem." I stammered. I felt embarrassed. _Lily kissed me! She actually kissed me! Why did she do that? I'd never been kissed by a girl before. I've known Lily all my life and she's never, ever done that. We're best friends. Friends don't kiss each other... do they?_ I looked at the expressions on our parents' faces. They were just as shocked as I was.

_Raychel_  
Lily?!" I exclaimed. "Yeah Raych?" she replied casually. "Why did you kiss him?!" I inquired still stunned. "Huh? It was just a friendly peck on the cheek to thank him. It's not like I kissed him on the lips." she stated. "B-but still." I protested. "I don't see why you're so worked up, it's not a big deal." she shrugged. I looked over at brother, his face was still red. "You alright, Charlie?" I asked him. "Huh, what? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting it. I'm okay, really." he stammered. "You sure?" I pressed. "I didn't really mind besides, like she said, _'It was just a thank you kiss,'_ sis. No biggie." he assured. _I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me or himself, maybe both._

_Twins_  
"Well, would you look at that, it's time for school." said mother breaking the awkward silence. We looked at the clock. _Shit! She was right, we were gonna be late if we didn't haul ass! _"Later, mom and dad!" said Charlie as he slung his pack over his shoulder, put his helmet on, grabbed his refboard, and the bike's Compac Drive. Raychel grabbed her hand-bag and did the same. Charlie tossed Lily a helmet. "We'll discuss this later." said her father. "OK." she responded as we scurried out the door. We latched our board onto the bikes and inserted the Compac Drives. Our engines started with a _roar_. Lily hopped on the back of Charlie's bike.

_Charlie_  
"Thanks again for giving me a lift, Chuck." said Lily gratefully. I leaned back away from her. "What?" she went. "You're... not gonna kiss me again... _are you?_" I asked. She laughed out loud. "Only if you want me to." she replied mischievously tightening her grip around my waist. "No, no, that won't be necessary. It's cool." I stated. I revved the motor and we took off.

_Raychel_  
I rode behind Charlie's bike on our way to school. I still couldn't shake what Lily had done from my thoughts._ Had it really been a harmless thanks, nothing else? I'm probably just being paranoid. I mean come on, we're practically family. Then again..._ "Hey sis, watch out!" yelled brother. Huh? I swerved, barely missing a trash can. "Sorry!" I hollered to whomever's can I almost hit. "Eyes on the road, Raych!" shouted Lily.

_Twins_  
As soon as we reached school we parked our bikes and sprinted for the door. *RING* _Phew, just made it! _We placed our outdoor shoes in our lockers, switched to our school shoes, and headed for our classroom. We all shared the same home room. Our sensei entered. "Rise." instructed the class rep. The class stood. "Bow." she said next. We bowed. "Sit." the rep finished. We took our seats.

"How was your summer vacation, class?" inquired sensei. We cheered. "Good, good. Today we'll be going over the Neo-Ageha War. Neo-Ageha Squad or NAS, as it was commonly referred, was led by four very disturbed children. Their names were, in order from oldest to youngest, Arcti, Pacif, Atlan, and Indi. Once a part of ethnic cleansing these children... Yes, Maka?" went sensei.

Maka had raised her hand. "What's ethnic cleansing?" she asked. "It's rendering an area ethnically homogeneous by using force or intimidation to remove from a given area persons of another ethnic or religious group." he explained._ (Author's Note: This is the official United Nations definition of ethnic cleansing.)_ The class gasped. "That's horrible!" shouted Hei. "What monster would even consider such a thing?!" added Ayato. "You're absolutely correct, Hei and Ayato, it's an atrocious act. We should all be thankful we live in such peaceful times. However, please refrain from further outbursts while in my class." instructed teacher. "Sorry, sensei." apologized Hei and Ayato.

"Let's continue. These children were brainwashed by an even more disturbed man, Dewey Sörenstam Novak, for his personal military project, _'The Ageha Swallowtail Plan'._ The purpose of his plan was the total annihilation of the Coralians. He used deception to convince the populace that the Coralians were our enemies by attacking the Scub Coral with Orange missiles." teacher stated. " Now as you all know, Charlie and Raychel's mother is Coralian. Their very existence is proof that a peaceful coexistence between our species is possible. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in our class today." he added. The class laughed, _we_ blushed. Maka raised her hand again. "Yes, Maka?" he inquired. "Where are all the other Coralians now?" she asked. Sensei paused. "Not even your sensai knows the answer to that." he finally replied. _That was only partially true. No one except us, the Thurstons and Sorels, knew._ Sensei continued his lecture.

_Charlie_  
Some hours later the lunch bell rang. "Wanna eat together?" asked Lily. "Sure." sis and I replied pushing our desks together. "What you bring?" I inquired referring to Lily's bento. "Omelets, rice balls, and melon bread. You?" she remarked. "The same." I answered. "Great minds think alike, huh?" said Lily. "I guess." I chuckled. Lily was silent for a moment. "Hey Chuck, sorry about the whole me kissing you thing." she apologized quietly. "Meh, it was no biggie, Lil." I reassured. I paused. "To be honest, I... kinda liked it." I admitted shyly. She blushed. _I cracked a nervous smile and mustered every ounce of courage in me for what I was going to say next. _"You... wanna go out some time?" I inquired timidly.

_Raychel_  
_I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Brother was asking Lily, our best friend, out on a date!_ "Y-you wanna go out with me?" stammered Lily. "I mean not if you don't want to, I'll completely understand. Forget I even mentioned it." went brother waving his hands like a madman. Lily's face was as red as my brother's had been this morning. "No it's alight, a date sounds nice. It's just... I've never been on one before." she replied. "Me neither." stated brother. "Um... okay, I'll go out on a date with you, Chuck." decided Lily. "Really? Thanks, Lil." brother sounded relieved.

"I hate to interrupt but, do either of you know how a date works?" I inquired. "Not really. No." they admitted. _I didn't think so._ I sighed as I took another bite from my bento. _Eh, what the hell, I might as well help them out. _I chewed my food and swallowed. "I have a few suggestions." I said casually. "Really?! Thanks, sis!" brother told me. "Yeah thanks, Raych!" went Lily. "Wait 'til you hear me out _before_ you thank me." I laughed. "Alright, here's what you can do..." I laid out a list of ideas.

_Twins_  
Five minutes later lunch ended and school resumed for another three hours until the final bell rang. Raychel had cleaning duty today so she told Charlie and Lily to go on ahead of her. "Later." they waved. "Stick to the plan!" hollered Raychel. "We will!" they yelled back. Charlie gave his sister a thumbs up before leaving the school grounds with Lily on the back of his motorbike. _"Good luck you two."_ thought Raychel privately.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: WOAH, CHARLIE AND LILY'S FIRST DATE. I WONDER HOW OUR PARENTS WILL TAKE IT? MEH, WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN? I'M SURE IT'LL ALL WORK OUT IN THE END. CHAPTER 4: FALL FOR YOU  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
Fall For You**

_Charlie_  
Lily's arms were clasped around my waist so she wouldn't fall off the bike. "So where we heading first? The amusement park or the arcade?" she inquired. "I'll let you choose." I replied. "Hmm... arcade." she decided. "Arcade it is then. Hold on, Lil." I instructed. Lily tightened her grip.

_Thurston Residence..._  
_Raychel_  
"I'm home!" I announced opening the door. Mother was in the kitchen washing dishes. "Welcome back. How was school?" she inquired. "Good. I'm heading upstairs to study." I stated. "Alright, don't strain yourself." said mother turning off the facet and drying her hands. She looked around the room for a second. "Um...Raychel, where's your brother?" she asked as she put away the dishes. "Oh, he's on a date with Lily. Later." I informed her casually as I continued ascending the staircase. "That's nice...wait, _what?!_" mother exclaimed dropping a plate causing it to shatter.

_Arcade..._  
_Charlie_  
It took us roughly fifteen minutes to reach our destination. I parked the bike and we removed our helmets. "Whatcha wanna play first, Lil?" I inquired. "Hmm... how 'bout that one?" suggested Lily pointing to some dance pads. "DDR? But, I'm terrible at that game." I protested. " I know, that's why I picked it." she snickered mischievously. "Alright, which song we doing?" I caved in stepping on the pad. We browsed the music selection. "How 'bout this one, _Journey/FLOW_?" suggested Lily. We selected the song. "Are you ready?" went the game as the song began.

_For crying out loud, Lil! Could ya haven't picked a harder song?!_ "What's the matter Chuck? You having trouble keeping up?" went Lily playfully. "Oh, haha." I retorted. _Lily was thoroughly 'pwning' me._ "Noob!" she insulted laughing. "You're gonna break the game, you're so good!" went her side. "Come on, are you even trying?" went mine. _Annoying announcer!_ Finally, the song ended. "New high score!" stated Lily's game. She entered her initials. Mine... said nothing.

_Thurston Residence..._  
_Raychel_  
"What do you mean they're out on a date?!" demanded Dominic. Lily's parents had come over after mother phoned them relaying what I'd told her earlier. "Yeah, Charlie asked Lily out during lunch today. They're probably at either the amusement park or arcade now." I stated nonchalant. "How do you know that?" inquired mother. "Cus I was the one that suggested they go there." I replied proudly.

Dominic sighed. "Ya know, this is probably 'cus my daughter kissed your son this morning." he said to father. "Sounds logical to me." responded father. "What do we do?" asked mother. The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity before Lily's mother finally spoke up. "Let's just watch how this plays out for now. Charlie's a good kid, he'd never do anything to hurt Lily." she proposed. We were stunned by her response. "You really think we should just sit back and do nothing, honey?" Dominic asked his wife. To everyone's surprise, she nodded. _She was serious!_

"You never know, maybe this will turn into another love story." she thought out loud. _Now this response was even more shocking than her last!_ "Alright." her husband sighed caving in. "You okay with this?" he asked my parents. Mom and dad closed their eyes. _They must be conversing telepathically. They do this from time to time when they wish to discuss a topic privately._ A moment or so later my parents opened their eyes and nodded. "We've discussed the matter and we agree with Anemone. For the time being, we'll just watch over them." replied mother. "For now." father interjected.

"You worry too much. I mean come on, this is brother and Lil we're talking 'bout." I said in their defense crossing my arms behind my head and leaning against them. "I know, sweetie but, that's what parents do... we worry." stated mother. Father patted me on the head.

_Arcade..._  
_Charlie_  
"Alright, _you've_ kicked my ass at DDR. While_ I've _whipped you at F-ZERO AX. That's _1-1_. What's next?" I inquired. We looked around at our options. "Hmm... let me think." pondered Lily before something caught her fancy. "How bout that one!" she shouted pointing to... _a claw machine?_ "Which prize you want?" I asked inserting a token. _Lily was obviously ogling something in the cage, I just couldn't figure out what._"That one, the black faerie plushie with the red collar and green spots on it's arms. It's the one next to the white faerie." she stated. _(Author's Note: The plushies I'm describing are in fact TheEND and Nirvash in baby form as seen in the movie. In the movie they were referred to as faeries.)_ "Alright Lil, I'll take a whack at it." I told her.

_Fifteen attempts later..._  
"_Baka_ fucking machine!" I swore slamming my fist down. "It's alright Chuck, let it go. I don't need it." Lily tried comforting me. "No, I'm gonna get you that plushie this time." I promised with determination. She sighed. _So I was being stubborn, what of it? I wasn't just trying to win a prize anymore. Oh no, this game had pissed me off one time too many. It was a manner of pride now. I won't be defeated again!_ I reached into my pocket, I had one token left. _This was it, the moment of truth. You're mine plushie!_ With my hand clasped tightly around the joystick, I inserted the final coin. Lily gave me a kiss on the cheek. "For luck." she said warmly. "Thanks." I appreciated the gesture.

The game started. I maneuvered the arm ever so carefully, always checking and rechecking it's position. _Thankfully there was no time-limit otherwise I'd be completely screwed._ Finally satisfied with where the claw hung, I pressed the button. I crossed my fingers and held my breath. _Please don't miss._ Slowly the claw went down to pick up the prize. _It grabbed it!_ The arm retracted with the plushie still in it's grasp. _Come on, come on!_ I prayed to the gaming gods. The prize shook back and forth as it made it's way to the drop-point. _Please don't fall. Please, please don't fall!_ After what seemed like an eternity to me, the claw reached the drop-point, prize still intact. _Good, good._ The claw opened, releasing the doll. I watched as it fell in slow-motion. The black faerie popped out of the machine. _Yes! I did it, I finally won! Take that you stupid game!_ I picked it up and handed it to Lily. "Here." I said. _It was all I could think to say._

Her eyes seemed to glisten as she took the plushie. "Arigatou gozaimasu." she replied cheerfully hugging the doll. _Wow, to think something as simple as a faerie plushie could make a girl so happy._ "It's because you won it for me. That's why I love it so much." she explained seeing my expression. _It was as if she had read my mind._ "I'm just glad you like it." I stated. She smiled again still hugging the thing. "Well, I'm outta tokens now." I laughed showing her my empty pockets. "Wanna head to the amusement park?" she suggested. "Sounds good to me. Sorry I wasted all our tokens on only three games." I apologized. Lily shook her head dismissing my apology. "It's alright, it was worth it. We'll just make up for it on all the rides." she stated interlocking her arm with mine as we left the arcade. _(Author's Note: Yes! Even in the far flung future DDR, F-ZERO AX, and prize machines exist! Some fads never grow old, right?)_

_Thurston Residence...  
Raychel_  
_I wonder how their date is going? I made sure to suggest places they'd both enjoy so, they should be fine, right? Hmm... _I fiddled with the tip on my pencil. I shook my head. _I need to concentrate on my studies, not them._ I was researching the birth of Moonlight Shadow and the network they used to gather information. Apparently refboarders were a major part of the resistance. Their fellowship was one of the reasons why we won the war. _Heh. Never underestimate what we're capable of._ The very thought mused me. I continued reading the article. _"It was through the capture of a single NAS soldier that the location of the enemy HQ was revealed. This POW turned ally, fought alongside Moonlight Shadow during the final battle."_ it read. I smiled after reading this. _Even the worst person can change for the best, right?_ This was something our parents taught us, that people can always change. _Hmm... I wonder what made this person realize his/her error? Whatever the case was they must've been a kind-hearted individual._ "All's well that ends well." I thought out loud leaning back in my chair. _Maybe I'll meet them someday._ "Ha! Yeah right, as if!" I answered myself. _That's a ridiculous notion, our paths will never cross._ "Still, it would be nice." I thought out loud again.

There was a _knock_ on the door. "Come in." I responded. The door opened, it was mother. "Hey, mom." I greeted. "I brought you some sliced apples. How are your studies progressing?" she inquired. "It's easy, _especially_ since you're _our_ parents. Whenever I'm stuck, all I need to do is recall the stories you told us growing up." I stated. Mother smiled warmly. "Glad to help." she chuckled. "So, what subject you going over?" she asked placing the plate on my desk and leaning over my shoulder to read the computer screen. "The birth of Moonlight Shadow and the downfall of NAS. I just finished reading about the POW turned ally." I informed her.

"Oh, you mean Elena." she remarked. _Huh?_ "She was a very kind person who fought for her friends." continued mother. _Wait._ "You knew this person?" I reacted. "I do. She had three friends; Kurtz, Rodriguez, and Riddick. But sadly, Riddick died from CFS overdose." she stated. _(Author's Note: This is what the Thurstons and Sorels were told. However, if you've read my first book then you know the truth.)_ "And what of her other friends, Kurtz and Rodriguez?" I inquired. "They work at... what was it's name again? Oh yeah, _Dotti's Garage_, it's a LFO repair shop like ours." she recalled.

Mother chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if those two are still competing over Elena to this very day." she laughed. _Huh?_ I was confused. _What, was there like, some kind of love-triangle she was referring to?_ I didn't have a clue what mother was talking about. "Anyway, enjoy the apples and don't hesitate to ask your father of I for help if need be." she kissed me on the forehead and waved as she exited the room. "Thanks mom." I replied biting into an apple slice. _Now, where was I? Hmm..._ I skimmed the web page. _Oh yeah, right here._

_Amusement Park...  
Charlie_  
As we pulled up to the park, Lily and I could hear the screams of those on the coasters from outside the place. _Woah, gnarly._ I found a spot in the lot and parked the bike. Moments later we passed through the entrance. _Some of these rides look intimidating... that just means we're haveta go on them first!_ "C'mon, Lil!" I pulled her through the crowd. "W-wait, Chuck." she protested. "Let's ride that one!" I pointed to the highest, fastest, scariest, most extreme ride in the entire park, _Babel Tower._ We stared at the behemoth. "O-okay, s-sure." she replied shaking in fear. _Lily looks like she's about to piss herself... sweet._ I grinned sinisterly as we stood in the 45 minute line.

However, after 25 minutes I started to feel empathic for her. Lily was still shaking with her eyes fixated on the coaster. I placed my hand on her shoulder, startling her. "We don't have to ride it, we can go on something else." I said reluctantly. She looked at me as I turned away. "You'd do that... for me?" she asked. "Of coarse I would." I answered still averting eye contact. When I turned to face her, she was smiling. "Thanks, for awhile there I thought this was some sorta payback for the doll. Looks like I was wrong, you do care. That means a lot to me. But, I'm okay now, I'll still ride it with you just..." she trailed off. For some reason she was blushing. "Just what, Lil?" I pressed. Lily hesitated for a brief moment. "Just please, hold my hand while we're on it." she finished.

I grabbed her hand without a second thought. _Wait, what am I doing? Why did I grab her hand?_ She stared at our hands, then into my eyes. My heart was racing. _What's wrong with me? Why do I feel this way?_ The questions ran through my mind before it finally hit me. _I'm falling for her._ I snapped back to reality to answer her. "Sure." I promised with a kind smile. "Thank you." went Lily grateful. It took me a second to realize that now _both_ our faces were flushed.

Twenty minutes later we were up next. Lily and I secured our harnesses as the coaster's operator described _Babel Tower's_ features. _(Author's Note: Description to follow once research on coasters and the human body is done. I wish to know how much the body can handle before blacking out.)_ Lily, still trembling, was seated beside me. I offered her my hand as promised. She tightly clasped it. "You ready?" I inquired. No sooner had the words left my mouth, that the coaster took of like a bullet before Lily could reply. _She_ screamed, _I_ laughed. The g-force lunged us into the back of our seats. I felt my stomach leap up into my throat. _This is awesome!_ We lurched to our side as the ride barreled into a corkscrew loop. "THIS IS INSANE!" screamed Lily. "I KNOW! AIN'T IT GREAT?" I laughed. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAAANT! AHHH!" she screamed again. I couldn't stop myself from laughing, I was having a blast! _What an adrenaline surge!_ Our cart hit another sharp turn. "GET ME OFF THIS CRAZY TRAIN!" shouted Lily. "AW COME ON, IT AIN'T THAT BAD." I assured her. "YES IT IS! AHHH!" she complained. I kept laughing over her screams.

Five minutes later the ride came to a halt. Lily opened her eyes. "Is it over?" she went meekly. I chuckled. "Yeah Lil, it's over. We can get off now." I stated. She released my hand and we unbuckled our harnesses. She leapt out of her seat and dashed for the exit. _I've never seen her move so fast._ Lily refused to stick around the ride for second after it ended. I strolled to _Babel Tower's_ photo capture shop to see our pictures. _These are priceless! I'm definitely purchasing them!_ I handed the clerk my money and she gave me an envelope containing the photograph. "Thanks." I said taking them. A minute later I caught up with Lily, she was waiting outside the ride's entrance. "Where were you?" she asked impatiently. "Getting our photos." I showed her the envelope. "Wanna check 'em out?" I inquired grinning. I may have seen them but, she hadn't. I opened the envelope and held up the photograph for her to view.

It showed Lily's distorted, ghostly white face in mid-scream. She had a death-grip on her harness with one of her hands, her other was clasping mine. _I_ however was beaming. My jaw was wide open in excitement and my free arm was up in the air. "You look like a banshee!" I laughed. Lily on the other hand didn't find the picture amusing. "Gimme that!" she ordered trying to grab the envelope. "No way!" I snickered now playing a friendly game of keep-away. I decided to test her patience. "Wanna go again?" I jested. Lily glared at me. "_Baka_, stupid, idiot!" she carried on pummeling my shoulder with her fists. _Okay, bad idea._ "Just kidding, it was a joke, Lil! _Ouch_, lay off my arm will ya?" I laughed out loud. "Moron, fool, jerk!" she continued. "Alright already, Lil. I get it, I get it. It was a bad joke." I apologized. "Look, to make it up, _you_ choose our next ride. Deal?" I decided. Lily stared up into my eyes. _(Which by the way could only be described as a look of ill-intent.)_ "Deal." she stated. _Alright, which ride did I just agreed to?_

_

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER: CHARLIE AND LILY'S DATE CONTINUES. MEANWHILE, A HUGE WAVE COMES TO HILLSIDE HOPE PARK... PERFECT FOR SOME QUALITY LIFTING. AND RAYCHEL DECIDES TO TAKE A BREAK FROM HER STUDIES TO DO JUST THAT. CHAPTER 5: CATCH A WAVE**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5  
Catch A Wave  
**

_Thurston Residence...  
Raychel_  
_"West Belle Forest - southern winds, wind force 4. Transparence light particles: 34, later increasing to 54. North Belle Forest - southeasterly winds, wind force 6. Transparence light particles: 48, later increasing to 68..."_ went the radio. I leapt up from my seat. _Sweet, a huge wave's coming!_ I grabbed my refboard, flung open my bedroom door, and hurried downstairs. "Later." I hollered as I sprinted for the door. "Woah, where's the fire?" joked father. "There's an uber wave coming. I'm heading for the park to catch it." I stated. "Really?" he raised his eyebrow. I nodded. "Uh-huh. The radio said it's 48 now but, it's gonna be 68 later." I informed my parents. Father dashed for the closet. _Heh, I already know what he's getting. _"That is big. Mind if we tag along?" asked mother. Dad was already halfway out the front door with their long board in hand before I could reply. _Yep, I'm certainly their daughter._ "C'mon Eureka, let's go!" he called. I glanced back at her. "Do ya really need to ask, mom?" I chuckled shrugging my shoulders. _The waves wait for no one. You either ride them or, let 'em die._ "Coming, dear!" went mother.

T_en minutes later, Hillside Hope Park..._  
"You heard the broadcast too, eh?" went a voice. _Ayato?_ I turned around to see him standing there with his board. "What are you doing here?" I asked him. "The same thing you are, lifting." he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. I looked around. "Where's Maka and Hei?" I inquired. Ayato pointed upwards at the sky. "In their Scud Bike Kais." he replied. I looked up, squinting my eyes. _Oh, I see them now. They're way up there._ "I see you brought your folks." he said waving to my parents. Mother and father were already on their long board. _Heh. They sure as hell didn't waste their time._ "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Thurston!" hollered Ayato. They waved back. "Yeah, they kinda tagged along. But, who can blame them? The waves here are great." I told my friend. "True." he agreed. "What are you doing just standing there? Lift!" came a voice from above. _Uncle Dominic?_ He was lifting over our heads. _I can't believe I hadn't noticed him..._ "Hey, kids." waved Anemone whom was sitting in the shade stroking her old pet, Gulliver. (His once pure white fur was gray now, a sign of age) _...Or aunt for that matter. Jeez, I'm oblivious today!_ "Well, you heard him. Let's go." motioned Ayato. He and I leapt on our boards and proceeded to lift. _The breeze, it feels so good._ We heard a noise behind us. _It sounds like... wings flapping._ I turned around to see what it was. _Skyfish, an entire flock! Just look at them all!_ "Pretty." I thought out loud.

I grabbed the side of my board. Straightening my hips, I bent my knees so that the board went behind my back to perform a backside air variation trick known as the_ Method Air._ Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ayato tweak a _Del-Mar Indy_ with his board. "Nice!" went uncle as he performed a _Roundhouse Cutback_ to _Crossbone_._ (Author's Note: All these maneuvers, with the exception of the Roundhouse Cutback, are actually Aerial/Grab skateboard tricks. Since skateboarding/"Sidewalk Surfing" was invented by surfers, I thought it appropriate to incorporate some of the grabs into my story. After all, lifting's also based on surfing.)_

I heightened my senses in order to _"see"_ where the next big flow of trapar would be. Trapar isn't something that can be seen with the naked eye. You have to _"feel"_ it, know what I mean? _Concentrate... there! It's directly above us, to the west._ "Head up and to the left!" I relayed to Ayato. "Reading the waves again?" he asked following my directions. "Yep." I responded. "Why is it that you, your twin, and Lily can read them better than anyone else?" he inquired. "My parents are just as good, if not better." I mentioned. "Well duh but, still..." he trailed. "Don't know, practice maybe?" I shrugged. Ayato snapped his figure like a lightbulb had turned on over his head. "Wait, I got it!" he exclaimed. "Huh?" I inquired. "Maybe it's because you're half-Coralian." he theorized. "Or _maybe_ it's just 'cus I'm _better_ at lifting than you." I taunted. "Not all of us were born with a board mounted on our feet, like you." he retorted poking my shoulder. We continued to playfully jeer each other whilst we lifted.

_Amusement Park...  
Charlie_  
Not only did Lily pick our next ride but, every single one that followed thereafter. We rode spinning wheels, bumper cars, go-karts, gravity towers, etc. and I kept caving in to her demands. At one point she even had the nerve to suggest we go in _"The Tunnel of Love"_. My face turned beet red at the mere mention of the ride. _(And the way she had said it's name didn't help either.)_ That was where I drew the line, I flatly refused to ride it. Which brings us to where we are now, the Ferris Wheel.

"Having fun?" I asked. Lily was staring out one of the cart's windows. After all, we had a bird's eye view of the entire park so, why not take advantage of it. "Huh? Sorry, I was distracted." she replied. I repeated the question. "A blast and the scenery's beautiful too." commented Lily. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." I told her with a gentle smile. "Thanks for putting up with me." she said. _Huh?!_ "What are you talking about, Lil? I'm having a great time!" I stated. "Really?" she inquired meekly. "Uh-huh. Really." I nodded. "You don't mind that I've been dragging you all over the park?" she pressed. "Not in the least." I reassured her. "That's a relief." she sighed. Lily gazed out her window again, I did the same. _It's so peaceful._

Suddenly the ride jolted and came to a grinding halt. "What's going on?" went Lily. _She sounds a bit concerned._ "Sorry about that folks, we'll have it running again shortly." reported the operator through a megaphone. _Oh, it just broke down. I guess that's to be expected with some old rides._ "Looks like we might be here awhile." I voiced. We were at the very top. _Good thing neither of us are acrophobic. (Afraid of heights.)_

The atmosphere within our cart had grown quaintly daunting. _Now's my chance, here goes nothing._ I decided to break the awkward silence. "Hey Lil, mind if I ask you something?" I requested timidly. "Shoot." she replied with a nod. "I was wondering... how do you feel about me?" I inquired. "What's this all of a sudden? You're a kind person and my best friend, I like you a lot." she answered. "That's not what I meant." I stated shaking my head. "Then what _did_ you mean?" she pressured. _How do I put this?_ "Am I boyfriend material?" I elaborated bluntly. _Smooth Charlie, real smooth. Way to ease into the topic, that'll win her over for sure. I'm such an idiot!_ Lily was so quiet, you could've heard a pin drop. _Just great, now I've scared her. I'm so tactless, she'll never wanna date me now!_ "Do you... want to be my boyfriend?" she finally spoke up. _Was she wondering if that was what I'd meant or asking me out? ...Dammit, which one?!_ It kept rattling my brain. _Oh, I give up. It doesn't matter, my answer's the same for both._ "Yes." my voice squeaked going up an octave.

"...I'll be your girlfriend on one condition, you have to promise me something." answered Lily hesitantly. "Anything, name it." I rapidly responded. _Wow, I didn't even gonna give it a second thought, did I?_ Lily bit her bottom lip. "Swear you'll never break my heart." she requested. "You have my word." I pledged extending my pinky. She shook her head. "No, not like that... could you please close you eyes?" she asked meekly. Huh? "Why, what for?" I inquired suspiciously. "Just do it, okay?!" she insisted. _Why's her face so red? It's like she's sheepish._ "Err... alright." I groaned closing my eyes. _How come my eyes haveta be closed? Wait a sec, is she gonna... _As if on cue, I felt her lips meet mine causing my eyes to pop open. _They're so soft. I feel... good. _Time seemed to stand still._ If I wasn't smitten with her before, I certainly am now._

And just like that, it was over. Lily leisurely pulled away. _My no, our first kiss. _"I've never done that with anyone before." she confessed. "Me neither." I admitted. _There's that awkward silence again._ "How was it?" she asked nervously. "It was..." I paused. _How should I describe it?_ "Blissful." I decided. A smile formed on her face. "Blissful's a good word." she commented. "So, does that seal the deal?" I confirmed. Lily slowly nodded. We took hold of each other's hand. "Then it's settled, as of today we're boyfriend and girlfriend." she said gazing into my eyes.

Suddenly we felt another jolt which snapped us back to reality, the ride was functioning again. _Looks like the operator must've finally fixed the Ferris Wheel._ "What lousy timing, huh?" I jested. Lily chuckled. When the cart reached the ground Lily and I exited with our hands still clasped. We couldn't help but smile at each other. _So this is what it's like to be in love._ Even though I didn't want our time to end, I knew it had to. _All good things must come to an end, huh? ...I hate that saying!_ "We... should probably head back home." I suggested reluctantly. Lily frowned. "Aww, do we have to?" she protested. "I don't want to leave either but, we've been gone for four hours; one hour at the arcade and three hours here." I reported. "I suppose you're right. Our folks might be worried." she sighed. "Yeah, maybe." I agreed.

As we departed the park Lily proceeded to inquiry me. "Hey Chuck, I've been wondering..." she began. "Yeah? 'Bout what, Lil?" I listened. "Why me?" she asked. _Huh? _"Why _not_ you?" I interjected. "Please don't answer my question with another question." she instructed. I apologized. _Why her? That's an easy one._ "It's your personality." I stated. "My personality?" she repeated curiously. "The way you laugh and smile, those are your best features. I love them." I complimented with a warm expression. "Really? Thank you." blushed Lily pulling me closer.

After reaching the lot where I parked the cycle we put our helmets back on and mounted it. I felt Lily lean her head against my back. "Can I stay like this?" she requested quietly. "Sure, I don't mind." I smiled. "Arigatou." she whispered. The engine revved and we took off.

_Thurston Residence...  
Raychel_  
I looked at the clock. _7:14 PM. It's been a little over four hours since school let out. Where the hell are they?_ I was sitting in the living room watching a rerun of some old program, _HALO: Legends_, on the TiVo with my folks. The Sorels were here too. _Waiting for their daughter no doubt._ I heard the door unhinge with a_ creak_ and my brother's voice call out, "We're home!" I looked over my shoulder to seeing them standing in the doorway. _Hmm... A feeling in my gut told me something was different with their aura... Call it woman's intuition_. Finally I noticed that their hands were clasped. _Guess that means their date went well._ "Welcome back." I greeted. "How was your date?" aunt asked mischievously. _Wow, she didn't waste any time getting straight to the point._ Lily and brother stopped dead in their tracks. "How did you know that?!" demanded Lily. "That be me, I told them." I confessed raising my hand. "Raychel, you told them?!" went brother. "I didn't want them to worry." I shrugged disregarding his hostility.

_Now it's my turn._ "So, how did it go?" I asked with a smirk. _I must've stuck a nerve, their faces are turning red._ I grinned. _Aha! My woman's intuition was right, something did happen!_ "It was fun."commented Lily. _...That's it?_ _"And?" _I urged stretching out the word. "And that's all ya need to know!" snapped brother. _Oh no, I'm not letting you off the hook that easy._ "Come on, at least give me some details. Anything." I pressured. "Fine. As of today your brother and I are a couple. Happy now, Raych?" spat Lily. "Ecstatic." I replied. _So they're a couple now, huh? _"Nice job, bro." I congratulated.

Our parents' jaws hit the floor. "Damn, that was fast." commented father. Mother nodded. Dominic turned to his wife. "Any _other_ bright ideas, honey?" he asked sarcastically. "I stand firmly by my decision." said Anemone steadfastly. "Fine then." he sighed.

_Charlie _  
_What are the babbling about? Did something happen while we were away?_ I turned to Lily. She had the same dubious expression on her face. "Don't look at me, I haven't the foggiest idea." she shrugged. _Alright then, so neither of us knows what the hell's going on._ "Feel free to fill us in any time now." I hinted.

_Raychel_  
I got ready to open my mouth so I could explain. _Y'know, about our parents not interfering with them._ But, father interjected by putting his finger to his lips, motioning to hush. "It nothing you need to to concern yourselves with." stated mother. _Why keep it a secret?_ "Never mind." I told brother and Lily dismissing the subject. _Sorry guys but, they must have their reasons._

_Twins_  
Dinner with the Sorels was sorta awkward that night. Lily, whom was seated in between us, was awfully quiet as she at her meal _(...then again, the same could be said for Charlie.)_ No matter how many times their parents _'interrogated'_ them about their date both kept dodging the subject almost entirely. Although, they did share Lily's _kawaii_ black faerie plushie and their _Babel Tower_ photograph. However, neither showed signs of caving in when asked if anything _'special'_ happened. The kept all the juicy tidbits to themselves. Many unrelenting _(and failed) _attempts later our folks finally dropped it altogether. _...Moving on._

After finishing supper Lily followed us up to our room. We planned to craft the Luna-Crystal Flower seeds we received from the Scub Coral into jewelry. _Clever, huh?_

_Raychel_  
"So did he kiss ya, Lil?" I inquired referring to the date. "C'mon sis, just leave us alone." pled brother. "Well, did ya?" I kept persisting. Charlie groaned. "Just between us girls then." I whispered in Lily's ear. "Raych, your brother's_...right...there._ How's it gonna be _'just between us,' _huh?" she motioned her head in Charlie's direction. F_rankly, we could've been surrounded by total strangers and I still wouldn't give a damn. I only cared about details. What did you expect? I'm a girl, I enjoy meddling. Besides, I was only teasing them._ Still, I could tell the subject was bothering them."I'm just messing with you. I mean c'mon, it's still too early for that kinda stuff since you've just started dating." I said nonchalant. Their faces turned _beet_ red. "No way, you didn't!" I exclaimed. Their expressions didn't alter. "...Did you?" I raised an eyebrow. Neither Lily nor brother spoke. "I promise I won't tell our folks if you did." I assured them. "...Really?" went Lily meekly. _So they did kiss...wow._ I nodded. "Thanks, sis." said brother relieved. A part of me was envious. _I still haven't had my first kiss yet._ "So, what did it feel like?" I asked.

They described it to me as best they could while we worked on our jewelry. _(By the way, I'm making a bracelet, Lily chose earrings, and brother's will be a pendant.)_ I listened to them enthusiastically. _They make it sound so wonderful. I hope when it happens to me it'll be just as grand._ "Wow, so you made the first move, Lily?" I repeated their words. She nodded. I never knew she was so bold. "You made it sound so romantic." I commented. "Not really." blushed brother. _Modesty, huh?_ "Anyway, I'm sure you'll make a fine couple." I said. "Thanks, Raych." smiled Lily. "Speaking of boys, while I was lifting at the park I saw Ayato and he complimented the pink ribbon you gave me. He thinks it really suits me." I told her. "That's good." she said.

_Twins_  
It took as an hour before we were finally satisfied with the results. "They turned out pretty good didn't they?" commented Lily. "Yeah, not too shabby." went Charlie. "We did good." nodded Raychel. We stood there admiring our handiwork in the mirror. _"Kids, it's time to say goodnight to Lily, the Sorels are going home."_ we heard mother call out from downstairs. "Ok mom, we'll be down in a sec." we reported. As we scurried down the steps our folks noticed our new accessories. "Those are pretty. You did a good job." complimented aunt. We thanked her. "See you at school tomorrow." said Lily hugging Raychel. "Hey Lil, if you want I can keep giving you a ride to and from school." mentioned Charlie. "Thanks Chuck, that be great." she kissed him on the cheek. _Obviously PDA around our parents doesn't bother her._

We waved goodbye to the Sorels as they departed. _And so ends another day. ...I wonder what's in store for us tomorrow?  
_

_

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER: THREE WEEKS GO BY... THINGS ARE GOING WELL FOR CHARLIE & LILY. WE DECIDE TO PAY A VISIT TO OUR LOCAL 'GEKKO-GO' AFTER SOME WAVE RIDING. RAYCHEL GOES TO MEET AYATO AT THE LOCAL CAFE. HE WISHES TO DISCUSS SOMETHING IMPORTANT WITH HIM. BUT, WHAT IS IT? CHAPTER 6: OVER AND OVER  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
Over and Over  
**

_Three weeks later...  
Twins_  
"Thank you, come again." we heard Lily tell a customer as we entered _'Gekko-Go'_. About a week ago she had convinced Hap _(with some help from our parents)_ to let her work part-time as a clerk. Her schedule was after school and weekends. Some days we'd drop by just to say _'hi'_ and browse the new merchandise. This happened to be one of those days.

_Charlie_  
"Yo, how's it hanging, Lil?" I asked casually, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Chuck. I've been good." she said. "It's a bummer you had to work today. The waves were gnarly." I stated. "Trapar or ocean?" she inquired. "Both." reported sis. "Damn, that does suck. I wish I could've been there." she sighed. "_Gomen_." I apologized. "I love my job but, sometimes responsibility just plain blows." she complained.

_Raychel_  
_I feel kinda bad for her._ "Look on the bright side, you get a huge employee's discount." I reminded trying to cheer her up. "Yeah, there's that but, I'm beginning to miss the waves." she sighed again. Being a boarder myself, I understood how she felt. _I suppose it's only natural to yearn for the waves when you're away from them for so long._ "What time you get off work?" inquired brother. "Hmm... dunno, what's today? Sorry but, I've lost track of time." went Lily. "Thursday." I stated. "Then I get off at 6:00." she reported.

_Charlie_  
"Wanna get a bite to eat when your shift's over? My treat." I offered. Lily nodded with a smile. Cool. She checked the clock. "Well, I gotta get back to work." she informed us. "J_ya mata_, Lil." sis and I said as we left the shop. "_Jya._" she replied.

_One hour late_r...  
_Raychel_  
"...Anyway, I'll be home later. I'm meeting Ayato at the Café." I said into my cell phone. "Alright, just make sure you're home by 6:30." instructed father on the other end. I glanced at my timepiece. _4:30._ "Why so early?" I both thought to myself and asked father over the phone. "Because your older siblings are coming home, remember?" he reminded. _That's right. I had forgotten._ "Sorry, it must've slipped my mind." I apologized. _"Renton, could you give me a hand?"_ I heard mother's voice ask in the background. _"Be right there, Eureka." _went father. "Don't forget, 6:30." he told me again. "I won't. Later dad, I love you." I replied. "I love you too, bye." responded father. _Click._ I hung up the phone.

"So, what dad say?" inquired brother. I relayed the conversation. He shook his head, as if in disbelief. "I can't believe you forgot about our dear _onee-chan_ and _nii-sans'_ homecoming. Shame on you!" he responded in a sarcastic manner. I apologized. He raised an eyebrow. "It isn't _I_ you'll need to apologize to, it's them. Imagine how _heartbroken_ they'll be when they learn their own sister had forgotten about them. _Tsk, Tsk, Tsk._" he carried on, still jesting, like a guilt trip. "Yeah, yeah. Knock it off." I retorted. He snickered.

_Charlie_  
Placing my hands my head, I gazed up at the sky. "So what do you suppose our dear friend, Ayato, wishes to discuss with you?" I asked casually while attempting to hide a wily grin. "Something tells me you already have an idea." she replied raising her eyebrow. _I do but, there's no way I'm telling you_. "Not at all." I lied. "Spill it." she demanded. "I don't, really." I fibbed again. "Ugh, whatever." she sighed dropping the subject.

**_-FLASHBACK- [Earlier that day at school]_**  
As I opened the roof door Ayato's words echoed in my head. _"Could you meet me on the rooftop during lunch? I need to discuss something with you."_ he'd requested. Ayato was leaning against the railing, back turned to me. "So what was it you need to chat 'bout?" I called to him. He jumped at the sound of my voice. _What's got him so anxious?_ When he turned around to address me the next words he spoke made it all too clear. "I love your sister! I've had a crush on her since kindergarten. I... I want to date her." he confessed. _...Um, woah. Just, woah._ Ayato stood there awaiting my response, eyes boring into my very being.

"Err... congratulations?" I said scratching my head in confession. _Why's he telling me this? _"It... doesn't bother you?" he questioned. The expression he wore told me that my calm demeanor disturbed him. "Should it?" I shrugged. Ayato relaxed his shoulders, relieved. "I've asked her to meet me at the Café after school. I'm going to confess my feeling towards her properly there." he informed me.

...Silence, only the sound of the wind blowing was heard. "Anything else?" I spoke up. Ayato shook his head. "Well, good luck then." I wished my friend waving goodbye. With his feet still rooted, he gestured a slight nod as I left. _Good luck._

**_-FLASHBACK- [END]_**

"...Charlie? Yo, Earth to Charlie!" screamed sis in my ear. _Huh? _I snapped back to the present. "_Oi_, where'd you go?" she poked. "Sorry 'bout that. My mind wandered off there for a bit." I apologized. She sighed. "Anyway, I was saying..." sister droned on.

_Raychel_  
We parted ways before reaching the Café. Brother said he had some errands to attend but, a feeling in my gut told me it was only an half-truth. I suppressed the urge to press him for more.

The bell hanging above the door _rang_ as I entered the Café. Ayato, whom was sitting in a booth by the window, glanced up. "Sup." I waved. He greeted me with a warm smile. I seated myself adjacent to him. "How you been?" he inquired. "Good. You?" I responded. "The same. Want me to order you something" he offered. "Err... sure. A strawberry sundae would be nice." I answered. _Why's he being so formal?_ Earlier, he had requested I meet him here after school. When I asked_ 'why' _all he told me was, _'it's... personal.'_

He told the waitress my order and a moment later she returned with the sundae. "So what was it you wanted to tell me?" I asked as I ate my ice cream. "I...I," he stammered. _What's wrong with him?_ "I love you, Raychel Thurston." he answered. I froze. ._..WHAT?!_ "I'm sorry, I must've misheard you. Could you repeat that please?" I said in disbelief. Ayato repeated the words and further elaborated. "I've had a crush on you since kindergarten. Will... you go out with me?" he meekly confessed. _Ayato loves me?!_ The sentence repeated itself over and over again in my brain. Time itself seemed to halt and I became lost.

"Raychel, say something." insisted Ayato snapping me out of my trance. "You," I swallowed hard, "_love me?_" _I couldn't think of anything else._ He nodded slowly. What do I do?! This has never happened to me before! "Sorry but, could you give me some time to think it over. I... I just don't know right now." I timidly requested. "Sure, take all the time you need." he stated. "Thanks, Ayato." I breathed easier.

I changed the subject, anything to ease the tension I was feeling within myself. "Maurice, Maeter, and Linck are coming home." I mentioned. "Really? That's good to hear." he listened. _Maurice is a photojournalist for Stoner's newspaper, 'The Neverland Chronicle.' (Author's Note: Neverland, yet another theme I'm borrowing from the Eureka Seven movie. Are you noticing a pattern here yet?) Maeter is studying art abroad at a university. Linck is a senior attending 'Belle Forest High-School' and even though he still lives at home, we don't see much of him. His part-time job and girlfriend keeps him busy._

Ayato and I continued to converse about even the most mundane topics; school, our families, lifting/surfing, LFOs, etc. until I finally uttered, "Why me?" Ayato studied me, confused by the question. "Hmm?" went my friend. "Why do you care for me so?" I elaborated. "You're pretty... The very first time we met I thought you were a flower. Because... I'd never seen anyone so fair in my life." he complimented. His words wooed me. "I... I'm no flower." I blushed. "You are to me." he interjected. "_Arigatou gozaimasu_, Ayato-_kun_." I graciously thanked him. His lips formed a gentle smile.

_Charlie_  
I was lounging on a bench leisurely sipping a soda. _I wonder how sis's gonna react to Ayato's confession?_ A snicker escaped me. "Man, what I woulda gave just to see the expression on her face when he does!" I thought out loud. Taking another swig from the bottle, I glanced at the clock tower. _5:30._ "Lil will be off work soon, I should probably start hustling there now." I told myself. I finished the beverage, tossed the empty bottle in a nearby recycle bin, and commenced walking.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: WE WELCOME BACK OUR BELOVED SIBLINGS, MAURICE, MAETER, AND LINCK. IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE WHOLE THURSTON FAMILY TOGETHER AGAIN! RAYCHEL DISCUSSES AYATO'S CONFESSION WITH OUR PARENTS AND CONTINUES TO DEBATE HER FEELINGS TOWARDS THE CHILDHOOD FRIEND. WHICH ANSWER SHALL SHE CHOOSE? ...YES? ...NO? CHAPTER 7: LEARNING TO FALL // I DON'T WANNA BE IN LOVE (DANCE FLOOR ANTHEM)**

**_...[TITLE OUTCOME WILL DEPEND ON RAYCHEL'S FINAL DECISION]_  
**

**_(AUTHOR'S NOTE: I WANT YOU TO DECIDE HER ANSWER! THINK OF THIS AS AN INTERACTIVE POLL. SO, PM ME OR WRITE A REVIEW WITH YOUR OPINION! [YES] OR [NO]. I'M LEAVING THIS ENTIRELY UP TO YOU, MY LOYAL FANS! I'M COUNTING ON YOU! ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!)_  
**


	7. Chapter 7

_**BY A POPULAR VOTE OF 2-1, YOU CHOSE [YES] AS RAYCHEL'S ANSWER. I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK THOSE WHO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE POLL.**_

* * *

**Chapter 7  
Learning to Fall**

_Charlie_  
I knocked on _Gekko-Go's_ display window. Lily glanced up from the register. I waved and her face lit up at the sight of my presence. _I love that smile of her's, it always brightens my day._ I waited patiently while she finished closing the store. A few moments later I heard the bell above the door _chime_. I turned around_ just_ in time as Lil leapt into my arms, embracing me. "I missed you." she told me. "How was work?" I inquired warmly. "Good. It was _really_ busy today, there were a_ lot_ of customers." stated Lil. "Not too many for you to handle I hope." I said. "Nope, not for me!" she shook her head, beaming with pride. "That's good to hear, I wouldn't want my girlfriend to overexert herself." I stated putting my arm around her waist. Lily brought me closer, whispering in my ear, "And _I_ wouldn't want _my_ boyfriend to worry himself." then gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Where we heading?" she inquired, still clinging to my arm, as we strolled down the walkway. "_Pizza-La_, I thought maybe we'd get a bite there." I told. "Mmm, pizza." she said licking/smacking her lips. "You're such a kid!" I chuckled. "Yeah, well_...so...are...you_!" retorted my girlfriend playfully. With each syllable she poked me in the shoulder. Together, we continued to laugh like a pair of simple-minded fools.

_Five minutes later..._  
"Hey, did y'know that Ayato has a crush on Raychel?" I asked nonchalant as I opened the pizza shop door. "No, but I've always suspected it. He always seems to follow her like a lost little skyfish." she noted. "Really? I never noticed that." I admitted. "It's a girl thing, woman's intuition." she explained.

"Charlie, Lily, good to see you two again. What will it be, the usual?" went Masao, one of the waiters. "Yep," we responded in sync. "Gotcha, one supreme pizza comin' up!" he said giving us a wink and thumbs-up.

_Raychel_  
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow at school. Take care, Raychel." went Ayato as we parted ways. "Um...yeah, later. I'll try to have my answer by then." I told my friend and left the Café. Inside my head, the debate continued. I even went so far as to think of a list of pros and cons. _...What am I supposed to do?!_ "Ugh! This is so frustrating!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Raychel?" called a voice. I spun around, startled. _Maka?_ "Uh, hey there." I cracked a nervous smile. _Crap, had she heard me?_ "Something bothering you?" my friend asked. "Huh? No, nothing, I'm fine." I fibbed. She studied me for a moment. "Alright, if you say so." she shrugged. "What you doing out here? Shopping?" I inquired noticing the bags dangling from her arms. "Yeah, I just bought some new dresses. What about you?" she wondered. "Err...the same but, I couldn't find anything." I lied again. _Sorry Maka, forgive me. I despise lying (especially to my friends) but, it's...well, it's personal._

"Heading home?" questioned Maka as she followed me down the walkway. I nodded and explained the situation. "Oh, so your older siblings are coming home, are they?" she repeated. "Yep, it'll be good to have the whole family together again. I've missed them." I admitted. "Y'know, your older brother, Linck, is kinda cute." commented my friend. I snickered at her remark. "Sorry but, I'm pretty sure he's a _bit_ outta your league." I said. "And just _what_ are you implying, huh?" she retaliated. "He's _way_ too old for you, not to mention the fact that he's already got a girlfriend. Besides, I thought you were seeing Hei?" I elaborated. "Killjoy," she snorted. I laughed again.

_Twenty-five minutes later..._  
_Twins_  
Maka accompanied Raychel halfway until they spotted her brother and Lily, whom were on their way home themselves. "See you at school tomorrow." waved Maka. "_Jya_, Maka." we waved back.

"We're home!" we announced opening the door. _*sniff, sniff* Something smells good._ "Welcome back, kids." called father. He must be in the kitchen helping mother prepare supper. Raychel walked into the kitchen while Charlie sat down with Lily on the couch.

_Charlie_  
Using the remote, I turned on the television. "...and welcome back to the 12022 X-Games. I'm here today with lifting champs; Ruri _'Bluebird'_, her husband, Sumner_ 'Vision'_, and James _'Moondoggie'_." went the host. _Hey look, it's uncle!_ "Guys, this is your tenth consecutive win for the X-Games. You seem unstoppable, how do you pull it off?"interviewed the announcer. "Practice, a _lot_ of practice." laughed Sumner. "Practice huh? Any advice for our viewers at home?" the host asked. "Never give up and always believe in yourself." replied Ruri. "Wise words indeed." agreed the man with the microphone.

"Papa." went a child's voice off camera. The camera-man zoomed out to reveal a little boy tugging on Sumner's shirt. The child couldn't have been more than seven years old. "Aw, he's so adorable!" commented Lily. Sumner leaned down and hoisted the boy up. "And this little man here is our son, Roddy." introduced Ruri. "Well hello there, Roddy. I heard you participated in the junior lift tournament under the name, _'Flame,' _and placed 3rd. You must take after your mama and papa." the host complimented the boy in a friendly tone. "_K-k-konnichiwa._" squeaked Roddy timidly.

"What about you, James? Anything you'd like to say?" the man with the microphone addressed uncle. "Uh yeah, I'd like to thank my darling wife, Gidget, for putting up with my antics all these years. Also, I wanna give a huge shout out to my nephew, Charlie, and niece, Raychel. This ones for you dudes!" hollered Doggie holding up a trophy. _I wish we were recording this._ The announcer turned to face the camera. "Well, this has been you host..." _*Click*_ Lily turned off the televison.

"Hey, I was watching that!" I protested. "When you shoulda been watching _me_." said Lily nudging me. I grunted and rested my cheek against my fist in discontent. "_Chuck_," she pouted. I turned to face her and let out a sigh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." I apologized.

_Raychel_  
"Need any help?" I offered my folks. "Sure, could you set the table for me?" requested mother. As I set the dinnerware it occurred to me._ I...I have to tell them._ "Um...mom, what's it feel like to be in love?" I asked her. Father paused stirring the soup for a split second. "Why do you want to know? Did something happen?" she wondered. "Ayato...he...when I met him at the Café he confessed to me. He...told me he loved me." I stuttered. "He did, did he?" went papa. I nodded. "What should I do?" I pled. "Well, how do you feel about him?" inquired mom. I placed my hands over my heart and searched for an answer. "I...I don't know." I admitted.

While dad continued stirring the soup, mother pulled up a chair next to me. "Love...can be confusing. There are even times when it can hurt. But, it can also be the most wonderful experience a person can feel." she explained. "For Ayato to confess his feelings to you must've taken every ounce of courage in him, Raychel." noted father. _...He's right, I didn't realize that earlier._

"Now, I want you to search deep, _deep_, within your heart. The answer_ is_ there." instructed mama. I closed my eyes. _The answer's within me, locked deep in my heart_. I searched longer, further, and harder than before. _Within the depths of my soul... There! It's faint but, it is there. I feel...something, a glimmer._ I opened my eyes. "Did you find it?" pondered father. I nodded slowly. "And?" went mother.

As I opened my mouth to reply I was interrupted by the sound of a_ knock_ at the door and it opening. "We're home, _oka-san_ and _otou-san_!" announced some familiar voices. _...Maurice, Maeter, Linck! Our onee-chan and nii-sans are home!_

_Twins_  
"Welcome back!" we rushed them enthusiastically and pounced. "We've missed you _so_ much!" stated Raychel hugging her sister tightly. "Can't...breathe." gasped Maeter. Raychel quickly loosened her embrace. "Whoops. _Gomen onee-chan_, I guess that was a bit _too_ tight. Heh." she apologized. "We've missed you too _otouto (younger brother)_, _imouto (younger sister)._" said Maurice. "Really?" asked Charlie. _"Hontou ni._" answered Linck ruffling our hair. Charlie wore a smirk as he knocked his brother's hand away.

"Well don't just stand there. Come in, come in." ushered father. "Dinner will be ready in 5 minutes." reported mother. Maurice, Maeter, and Linck took their seats around the kitchen table. "How's work?" father addressed Maurice. "Meh, it's been kinda slow lately. Oh, by the way, I brought some of my photos with me." he mentioned reaching into his jacket pocket. He laid out the collection. _They're good_. "You did a great job capturing these scenes." praised papa. "Where were they taken?" inquired Lily.

"San Althis Mountains, Manaaki, Kalzas, Bolnata, Warsaw...here and there. While I was in Warsaw I ran into the Jurgens. Maria and their kids wanted me to say '_hi'_ for them ." he informed us. _Jurgens...where have I heard that name before?_ Then it dawned on me. _Our parents stories._

"I brought my latest art piece." mentioned Maeter pulling a canvas out of her messenger bag. "_Sugoi, onee-chan!_ It's beautiful!" complimented Raychel. "What about you, Linck? How are things with you and Kurau?" asked father. Linck hung his head. "We...broke up." he confessed.

_...Silence._ A moment later mother arrived with our meals. "Dinner is served." she said cheerfully. _...More silence,_ a gloomy atmosphere remained. "Err...did something happen?" pondered mother.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: WHY DID LINCK'S (EX) GIRLFRIEND BREAK UP WITH HIM?! THEY SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT COUPLE. AND THEY'D BEEN DATING SINCE THEIR SOPHOMORE YEAR TOO. THE REASON TURNS OUT TO BE SOMETHING NONE OF US EXPECTED. TOMORROW, RAYCHEL WILL GIVE AYATO HIS ANSWER. CHAPTER 8: ABOUT YOU NOW**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
About You Now**

_Twins_  
"Wha-?! Kurau broke up with you?! But _why?!_" demanded mother. "Haven't you been together since sophomore year? You seemed like the perfect couple." commented Charlie. "I was positive the two of you would marry one day." added Raychel. Linck was silent still...until, "That's the thing. I...I asked her if she'd marry me after graduation." he confessed. _You what?! _But, instead of speaking those words, we quietly listened. "Kurau told me she wasn't ready for such a huge commitment. I think maybe it scared her. In a panic, she turned me down and then...well, _this._" he elaborated. Linck began sobbing uncontrollably and clenched his chest. "It hurts...it hurts _so_ much. My heart aches, it feels like it's being torn from my chest. It's as if a part of me is slowly withering away. I don't want it to end like this, I _need_ her by my side." he wept heartbroken. _Poor brother._

"It'll be alright." Maeter attempted comforting him. Father rose from his chair, he wore a determined expression. "Linck, stand up." he instructed. _Huh? What's going on?_ Linck stood. "We're going." said dad vaguely. "Going? Where?" asked_ nii-san_ puzzled. "Isn't it fairly obvious? To where Kurau is." papa told him. "But," went Linck. Dad cut him off. "No _'buts'_. You're a man aren't you? If she's the one you love then go get her!" he interjected. "But, what am I supposed to say to her?" protested brother. "The truth. Apologize and explain that you'd _never, ever,_ force her into a situation she wasn't ready for. Tell her you'll wait until then. And above all else, tell her you love her. Got it?" advised _otou-san._ "Yeah," nodded Linck wiping away his tears. _Nice speech dad. (Author's Note: Recognize the speech? You should. Much of the dialogue is from the one Holland gave Renton in the final episode. It was good advise so, I thought it would be appropriate for Linck's predicament.)_

"We'll be back in a flash." father told us as he and older brother left. "Think it'll work?" pondered Lily. "I hope so." said Charlie. "Me too. He was a total wreck." added Raychel. "Well, no sense in letting it get cold while we wait. Eat up." said mother. "_Itadakimasu!_" the family (and Lily) exclaimed in unison.

Thirty minutes passed before papa returned..._without_ Linck. _Guess it worked._ "Welcome back. Um...dear, where's our son?" asked mother. "With Kurau, they're making up." he told. "Don't ya mean making _out_?" snickered Charlie. "Yeah, probably." laughed father as he rejoined us at the table. We took another spoonful of soup. _It's delicious._

_Charlie_  
... "You and Lily are dating, eh?" repeated Maurice. "Yep." went Lily. "So how far have you gotten?" asked Maeter slyly. "_Maeter!_" burst mother/father. "Just kidding." chuckled onee-chan. "It doesn't matter, that was still inappropriate and _you_ know it! We've raised you better than that!" scolded mother. Maeter stopped laughing. _"Gomenasai."_ apologized my sibling. Her apology, as sincere as it was, didn't help though. The damage had already been dealt. Lily's face and mine were flushed. "Have you at _least_ kissed yet?" pried Maeter. "Yes and nothing more! Can we _please_ drop the subject now?!" begged Lily.

_Raychel_  
"What about you, Raychel? There a man in your life too?" half-joked Maurice. _...Is there?_ "I dunno, maybe." I mumbled. "You say something?" he asked. _He hadn't heard me, good._ "No." I lied. I didn't dare tell them about Ayato. "Really? That's too bad. I bet there a lot of boys in your class who think you're _kawaii._" commented Maeter.

_The next day..._  
_Twins_  
"Will you be staying the weekend?" Raychel asked her older siblings. "Uh-huh. I don't have to be back at work until Monday." stated Maurice. "And I'm on break so the same goes for me." added Maeter. "I took a couple of vacation days." said Linck. _Sweet, we have them for the entire weekend._ "Well, catch ya later then." went Charlie. "Bye," waved Raychel. And off to school we rode.

_Raychel_  
When we arrived Ayato was awaiting me at the gate. "Sup," he greeted us. "Hey Ayato." went Lily. "Could you two go on to class ahead of me? I have something I need to tell Ayato – _privately._" I told brother and Lily. "Gotcha. C'mon Lil." motioned Charlie. "Right behind you, Chuck." she nodded.

It wasn't until we were the only ones still outside that I finally spoke. "Listen Ayato, I thought about what you said yesterday and..." I paused. "While I don't _love_ you, I still like you...a _lot_. So...that is...to say...I'll go out with you." I stammered. His face lit up. Unable to contain himself, he wrapped his arms around me. "_Domo arigatou gozaimasu!_" he enthusiastically thanked me. "Err...you're welcome." I replied patting him on the back, a hint for him to let go _(which he did.)_ "Sorry about that, Raych." he apologized. "Apology accepted." I assured my frie..._boyfriend._ _I guess I'm gonna haveta' get used to that word, huh?_ I offered him my hand. "Here, since you're my boyfriend now." I explained blushing. Taking hold of it, he thanked me again. _This isn't so bad._

"Alright class, who drew this?" we heard _sensai_ question as we entered the classroom. He was pointing to something on the blackboard. Some of our classmates were snickering. _What's so funny? _Then I saw it. Drawn on the board was an umbrella with our names, _'Ayato & Rachel,'_ under it. My face turned red.

"It's spelled wrong." commented Ayato calmly. _Huh?_ He casually strolled up to the board and picked up a piece of chalk. _What's he doing?_ He added the character for _'y' _to my name, then walked to his desk. Teacher, the class, and _I _stared at him in disbelief. "What? The kanji was wrong." shrugged Ayato nonchalant as he opened his textbook. "He didn't even try to deny it." whispered someone. "That was bold." whispered another. As I took my seat Ayato smiled at me. It was then I realized the reason behind his actions. _It doesn't bother him, not in the least. In fact, he's proud of being my boyfriend. To feel so strongly that he'd proclaim it. Wow._

...And from that day forth, neither Ayato nor I were teased again _(since it obviously didn't get under our skin.)_

_One month later..._  
_Twins_  
So much had happened in the short time Ayato and Raychel started seeing each other. They were taking things slow, getting to know each other better. Ayato never made any advances, always respecting Raychel's personal space. Slowly but surely, and without her even realizing it, Raychel's heart was opening.

_Charlie_  
"I've never seen Raych so happy." commented Lily. "Really? She seems the same to me." I said. "Men are so dense." shot Maka. "Hey! Right here!" retaliated Hei. The four of us were at the local _'Malt Shoppe'_ chilling while sis and her _boyfriend (snicker)_ were out on another date. "Well you are." retorted Maka. "_Urusai!_" snapped her boyfriend. "Uh-oh, couple dispute!" I witted with a smirk. Lily laughed.

_Elsewhere..._  
_Raychel_  
"Are you enjoying yourself?" asked Ayato in a hopeful tone. I smiled at him in response. _I never knew he could be such a gentleman. So far he's treated me to lunch and a movie. What's next?_ We were strolling down the sidewalk, enjoying some taiyaki, when I spotted a gorgeous new dress in a department display window. "Hey, can we head in here?" I requested. Ayato glanced up at the store sign. "Sure." he responded and held the door open for me. "Thanks." I said as we entered.

"Welcome." greeted the clerk. I browsed through the garments. _They're all so pretty. _Then I spotted the same dress from the window. "Excuse me, I'd like to try this on." I notified the clerk as I picked up the dress. Ayato accompanied me to the changing room and waited outside while I slipped into the gown.

Moments later I emerged. "So, how do I look?" I asked his opinion. Ayato stared at me, captivated. "Stunning." he remarked. I decided to twirl for him. _Bad idea._ I tripped over my heels and fell. Ayato attempted to catch me but, ending up falling himself.

"_Ite, ite._" I rubbed my bottom. _That hurt._ When I opened my eyes I saw Ayato's face, _dangerously_ close to mine. He'd fallen on top me. My heart fluttered, our face were flushed. "S-sorry." he apologized recoiling. "Are you alright?" he asked helping me to my feet. "Y-yeah, I'm okay. What 'bout you? You hurt?" I inquired. "N-no, I'm fine." he reassured.

Silence, neither of us spoked and I found myself having trouble averting eye contact. Finally it hit me. _I want to gaze into his eyes. Am I falling in love with him? _"Everything alright?" we heard the clerk holler concerned. "Everything's fine!" squeaked Ayato/I in sync. "Um...Raychel." went my boyfriend. "Huh?" I responded. He pointed down. I still had a hold of his shirt. _"S-sumanai._" I apologized releasing him. "It's alright, I didn't mind." he blushed.

More awkward silence. "It really suits you." he spoke up. "_Nani?_" I was confused. "The dress I mean. It really looks stunning on you." he complimented still blushing. A smile touched my lips. "Thanks, Ayato." I said graciously. Ayato purchased the gown for me and we left the store. The image of his face, so very close to my own, was still freshly engraved in my memory.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: RAYCHEL'S _TRUE_ FEELING CONTINUE TO AWAKEN WITHIN HER. BUT, WILL SHE ADMIT THOSE FEELING OR DENY THEM? WE FAST FORWARD THREE WEEKS. IT'S THE DAY OF THE SCHOOL CULTURAL FESTIVAL. UNDER THE GLOW OF THE BONFIRE, WILL RAYCHEL _FINALLY_ TELL AYATO THOSE THREE LITTLE WORDS WHICH HOLD SUCH GREAT POWER?** **CHAPTER 9: CARELESS WHISPER**

**_(FORGIVE MY PROCRASTINATION, I'VE BEEN SO BUSY WRITING CHAPTERS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN TYPING THEM_**. **_I'LL TRY TO HAVE THE REST TYPED SOON. THANK FOR YOUR PATIENCE)_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9  
Careless Whisper**

_Three weeks later...  
Twins_  
It was the day of our annual school festival and the events were in full swing. There were the usual; Cosplay Cafés, fortune-telling, a haunted house, Drama Club plays, garage bands, etc. All in all, they were hits. Raychel wore the gown Ayato had bought for her weeks ago. She and her boyfriend were by a taiyaki stand while Charlie and Lily were elsewhere.

_Raychel_  
"What you wanna do next?" Ayato asked me as he paid the shopkeeper. I took a bite of my taiyaki and pondered the thought for a moment. "How about we see one of the plays?" I suggested. Ayato used one of his fingers to move a crumb, which had been on my cheek, to my mouth. My face turned slightly red from embarrassment. "Sounds good to me." he agreed.

_Charlie_  
"You think Raych has realized it yet?" inquired Lily. "Realized what?" I asked not understanding her question. "Her feelings, about Ayato. She's falling in love with him." she explained. "You think so?" I thought out loud. "No, I_ know_ so. Just look at how she behaves whenever he's around. She lights up like a beacon." my girlfriend reaffirmed. _Come to think about it, she does. _"Y'know, you're right." I agreed. "Of course I am." she boasted proudly.

_Raychel_  
The auditorium was fairly packed with people waiting to see the play, _Fantasia Story._ Ayato and I found a pair of seats somewhere in the middle. The curtain rose. One lone girl stood on stage with a round table and a chair nearby. She reached out her hand. "Shall I... Shall I take you? To the place in this city where wishes come true?" she spoke.

_(Author's Note: Yes, this is the exact same play from CLANNAD. It's my second favorite anime, after Eureka Seven of course. I'm going to copy the play word for word on here. So, if you don't want to read it then skip ahead. Fuko & Ushio-chan FTW! ...That's all.)_

The girl walked over to the chair and placed one hand on it's back. "This is the world that has ended, a world where no one exists but I. There is a small wooden table and chair in the room. Outside the window is a vast plain with nothing in it. The building is old; no one knows when it was built. I live here alone. Sometimes I go outside and pick up what I need." she stated. Then she acting like she was opening a door and hopping outside. "There is nothing outside, either." she spread her arms. "In the weak sunlight, many small lights fly around. I pick up wood scraps, nails, and many other things. It's to make a friend. But, will he be happy coming into a world like this? I do have my doubts..." the play went on as we continued to watch intently.

The sad, winter tale about the girl whom was all alone in a world which had ended, captivated me. To make a doll from odds and ends, and have it move in answer to the girl's wishes, was intriguing. It made the girl's loneliness go away.

And then, the play was over. The girl took a bow as the curtain lowered. The audience applauded and cheered._ It was beautiful._ There were tears in my eyes, the story had moved me. "What's wrong, Raych?" Ayato asked in a concerned tone. _He must've noticed the tears. _"Nothing, I guess I just got caught up in the moment, that's all." I reassured him. He wiped my tears away. "Ah. The play was really good, wasn't it?" he commented. "Yeah, it was." I nodded in agreement.

_Charlie_  
Our next stop was the Cosplay Café. I'd heard Maka was standing in for one of her friends, who called in sick. I spotted her _(looking very irked might I add)_ waiting tables. "Nice get up. What are you supposed to be?" I called to her. She glanced up from her pad. "Oh, hey Charlie. Hey, Lily." she said. "So, what are you?" Lily repeated my question. "Some sorta magical girl." she explained. I studied the outfit for a brief moment. "It's very...revealing." I commented. Her face turned red. _"H-hentai!"_ squealed Maka concealing her chest area with her arms. My remark also earned me a _whack_ upside the back of my head from Lily. "Ow!" I rubbed the spot. "Sorry, Maka." I apologized.

"So where's your boyfriend?" inquired Lily looking around. "Hei? Oh, he's somewhere around here," then she added, "I think." after glancing around the room herself. "Hey Tiz, where's Hei?" Maka asked one of the other girls. "He went to buy some pocky and coffee milk from the vending machine." the girl, Tiz answered. My friend face-palmed. _"Mou_, that _baka_. Leaving me alone with all these lecherous customers." went Maka frustrated. "We're in middle school, Maka. I hardly think any of them are lechers." said Lily rolling her eyes. "You're not helping, Lil." snorted my friend. I laughed. _This is just too funny._

_Twins_  
For us, the next few hours seemed to fly by. It was really nothing more than the blink of an eye. And before we knew it, night had fallen. Under the glow of the moonlight and the staked bonfire, fireworks were launched to celebrate the end of our festival as we danced to the music around the fire.

Charlie held Lily close as they twirled. Raychel on the over hand, sat on the sidelines next to Ayato. The two were timid, neither of them appeared to have the courage to ask the other for a dance.

_Raychel_  
Finally Ayato spoke. "You... want to dance?" he asked politely. Nodding, I took his hand and he led me into the crowd.

As he wrapped his arms around my waist, I rested mine upon his shoulders. I felt a bit uneasy but, not to the point where I didn't want to be close to him. _It was just...well, it's hard to explain._ We could hear the pitter-patter of each others' hearts. _*Doki-doki* (Thump-thump.)_

"I'll try not to step on your feet." he said nervously. "You can't dance?" I inquired. "I only know the basics. Can you?" he wondered. "It's the same with me. I used to stand on my dad's feet to dance with him when I was a little girl though." I admitted. "I'm _pretty _sure we can't do that." he chuckled. "Wanna try?" I asked sheepishly. "Nah, I think I'll pass." he declined.

Side by side, hand in hand, we continued swaying. This is nice. "Hey, Ayato?" I whispered. "Yeah, Raychel?" he replied. "I think I'm in love with you." I told my boyfriend softly. I tilted my head up and pressed my lips against his. The embers from the fire behind us gave off a gentle, welcoming, glow as it crackled.

I pulled away and gazed into his glistening eyes. With tears of joy running down his cheeks, he hugged me, just like he had when I agreed to date him. But, this time was different from the last. This time, I returned the gesture. "I love you too, Raychel." he spoke the words soothingly.

_Charlie_  
Lily and I quietly watched the event between my twin and her boyfriend unfold. We didn't interject. Rather, I was happy for her, she'd finally realized her true emotions. "They make a good pair." commented Lily. "Yeah, I think so too." I agreed. "It's about time." went Maka. She and Hei were dancing beside us. "You've never heard the expression, _'Patience is a virtue,'_ have you?" sighed her boyfriend, Hei.

_Twins_  
The six of us stared up at the evening sky. We watched the mortars light up the dusk with their brilliant colors. _I wonder, does stardust look similar?_

_(Author's Note: Though I borrowed stardust from the movie, I'm not going to dwell on it. This was just some random thought my characters had because the fireworks were pretty, nothing more. I'm simply using it as a comparison.)_

_

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER: ANOTHER MONTH PASSES._ (THAT MAKES IT THE FOURTH MONTH.) _IT'S AYATO'S BIRTHDAY. AS A GIFT, RAYCHEL LET'S HIM CO-PILOT THE NIRVASH typeHOPE. AT THE SAME TIME, CHARLIE AND LILY CHALLENGE THEMSELVES TO A LITTLE LIFTING COMPETITION. BUT, SOMETHING GOES TERRIBLY WRONG. CHAPTER 10: ONLY ONE**

**_(A/N: SORRY FOR THE DELAY, I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH MORE PRESSING ISSUES.)_  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10  
Only One**

_One month later..._  
_Twins_  
"Happy birthday, Ayato!" we cheered. "Wow, thanks everyone." said the birthday boy. We grinned. Lily, Maka, and Hei were here too. (Here being Mr. & Mrs. Kamina's house. That's Ayato's last name. I guess we forgot to mention that.) "Not a prob." replied Hei. "We're your friends, aren't we?" added Maka. We nodded in agreement. Ayato smiled, grateful to be surrounded by those dear to him. "Make a wish, son." instructed his father, Kiba. Ayato closed his eyes and blew out the 14 candles. We applauded.

_Raychel_  
As his mother, Cheza, distributed the cake I asked my boyfriend what he wished for. "If I tell you then it won't come true." he protested. "C'mon, you don't actually believe that silly superstition, do you?" I asked. "A little." he admitted. "C'mon, please." I pressed. He sighed. "Promise you won't laugh?" he requested. "I swear." I assured him. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, so that only I could hear. " I wished that we'd always be together, forever." stated Ayato. Well, I certainly didn't laugh. Rather, I blushed. _Of all the things he could've wished for, that was his wish? Wow. _"You're certainly asking a lot from me, aren't you?" I sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." he began to apologize _before _I cut him off. "Then I guess I'll just have to try my best to make your wish come true, won't I?" I winked at him. "Raych, I... thanks." went Ayato.

_Charlie_  
"What are you two whispering about?" Lily inquired my sister and the birthday boy with a raised eyebrow. "Now Lily, leave the lovers alone." mocked Ayato's own father. "F-father!" stuttered his son blushing. I laughed. _See? I told you they (our friends' parents) were fun to hang out with, didn't I?_ "Nice one, Mr. Kamina." I complimented. "Please, call me Kiba. I'm sure I've told you kids this before." he sighed. "Ok, Mr. Kiba." replied Lily. "No mister, just Kiba. And the same goes for my wife, Cheza." he corrected us. "Gotcha." nodded Lily and I.

"Here's your present." stated Maka handing Ayato a yellow envelope with a bow stuck on it. We watched as he opened the package. "_Sugoi!_ It's _ray=out's_ 33rd issue, _'Pacific State'_! And it's in mint condition too. I've been looking everywhere for this one!" exclaimed Ayato. "You wouldn't believe what we had to go through just to find it. Check out the cover." went Hei. "Huh?! Raychel, Charlie, isn't that your mom and dad?!" he pointed to the picture.

_Twins_  
_What the–?! OMG it is!_ "Wow, look at how young they are. They look like they're about the same age as us." went Charlie. "Mom's hair is short too." commented Raychel. _(Author's Note: In this book, Eureka has long hair. Just like she did at the end of the movie. Why? Because it makes her look even cuter in my opinion.)_ "Wait a second. Where your mother's wings?" wondered Ayato. "Hey, I don't see their forehead beads either." added Lily. _Huh? Lily and Ayato are right, they're missing._ "I guess what our parents told us was true." went Charlie. "They didn't always look like they do now." finished Raychel. _Sugoi._

Ayato thanked his friends for the gift.

_Two hours later..._  
_Raychel_  
"C'mon, Ayato." I tugged at him. "Where are you taking me?" he kept asking. I had him blindfolded. "It's a surprise, just keep a hold of my hand." I instructed. "Raychel," he groaned. "You might as well give it up, she's not gonna tell you." said Lily. "Charlie?" he pleaded. "Hey, I'm not gonna tell you either." stated brother. Ayato groaned again.

I was leading my blind boyfriend to his present. _(Oh by the way, Maka and Hei had gone home. Dinner. Just in case you're wondering.) _"We're here." I informed him as I began removing the blindfold. "Just what is it tha– Woah!" went Ayato once he could see again. Parked in front of us was the HOPE. "You're gonna co-pilot her." I stated. "Seriously?!" exclaimed my boyfriend. "Uh-huh. Seriously." I nodded. "But, what about your brother and Lily?" he inquired.

_Charlie_  
"We're gonna be lifting." answered Lily. "Today's all about you, Ayato. Don't worry, sis and I already discussed it. Besides, HOPE is half her's too." I stated. "Just don't try anything funny in her." winked Lily. I heard Ayato call out, "I-I'd never dream of such a thing!" as we mounted our boards, leaving them to their date.

_Raychel_  
Ayato and I climbed in the cockpit. "Ready birthday boy?" I asked him. "Err... yeah." he replied grabbing his controls. "Huh? It's not moving." he noticed. "Oh, sorry about that, Ayato. I forgot to mention, she can be picky." I said. "What do you mean?" he pondered. "HOPE won't let just anyone pilot her. That's what makes her special." I commented. I closed my eyes. _Onegai (Please) Nirvash, dance with my friend._

HOPE's eyes lit up, she'd answered my plea. _Thank you, Nirvash_. I touched her and she reacted. HOPE boosted off the cliff and deployed her board. It's reflection film caught the trapar, up we flew. "_Sugoi!_ This is so amazing!" went Ayato enthusiastically. I glanced over at the co-pilot. His eyes glistened, a grin from ear to ear, my boyfriend was ecstatic. _Thank you again, Nirvash. He's really enjoying himself. _

_[Think nothing of it, Raychel. I'm but your's to command after all. It was your wish, therefore I granted it.]_ came a voice, the archetype's, inside my head. The glimmer of the Compac shone brighter.

_Charlie_

Far from typeHOPE, my girlfriend and I decided to challenge ourselves to a friendly lifting competition. "I bet I can lift better than you." said Lily confidently. "Not a chance!" I yelled. She performed a Round-Trip Turn. "Oh yeah? Try this!" I did a Spinning Airborne. "That your best?" shot Lily with a Fade Turn Edge. "I'm not even warming up yet!" I retaliated, a Roundhouse Cutback. A Criss-Cross Trimming was her response. _Think you're hot, do ya?_ "High-Tide Heavy Dive!" I bellowed performing the maneuver.

_Forty-five minutes later..._  
Indies, Method Airs, Crossbones, Judo Airs, Lien Airs, Melons, Benihanas, Nosegrabs, Stalefishes, etc. ...we did them all. Our 'friendly' challenge had turned into an all out trick war. We pushed ourselves harder, eager to learn our limits. So far, I was winning. I'd 'one-upped' every trick she'd done.

Lily wore an irritable expression as she attempted a Cut-Back Drop-Turn. As she was turning an incredibly strong gust of wind blew, nearly knocking me off my board. I heard Lily scream. She hadn't been as fortunate, the gust _did _knock her off the board. "LILY!!!" I screamed.

Something, I know not what, compelled me to leap off my board. _It seems my body has a will of it's own. _I called her name over and over again as I dove. "CHARLIE!!!" she called reaching out. I folded my wings, pressing them against my back to increase my decent. _C'mon, c'mon! Move faster body! _"CHARLIE!" she bellowed again. _Almost there._ "Gotcha!" I grabbed her hand and pulled her close. I opened my wings. "I...CAN...FLY!!!" I shouted.

_...No I can't, I was only slowing our decent._ My wings weren't full developed yet. "_BAKA! _Now you're gonna die too!" cried Lily. "Oops." I said. "Oops?! What were you thinking?!" she demanded. "I wasn't." I admitted. "_BAKA! _I don't want you to die too! Let go of me, you might be able to save yourself!" she ordered. I tightened my grip instead. "_BAKA! _Let go of me NOW!" my girlfriend repeated. "NEVER!" I yelled. "LET GO!" she ordered once more. "_URUSAI!_ You still haven't figured it out yet, have you?! LIFE'S NOT WORTH LIVING WITHOUT YOU! I'LL NEVER LET YOU! YOU'RE MY ONLY ONE!" I declared at the top of my lungs.

We touched our forehead beads together. _"Baka,_" she wept. "Stop saying stupid. I guess there's nothing I can do, since I'm an idiot. But, I can only become so stupid for Lily." I told her while wearing a cheap smile. "_Baka._ But...you're _my_ very own idiot." she stated, tears still flowing. _(Author's Note: Yes, I borrowed this from the movie. It was such a romantic scene, I just had to emulate it.)_

"Charlie, I don't want to die. I want to live...live with you. Together, forever." she wept. "There's so much I wanted to do. Pilot a LFO, go to high-school and college, become a teacher, get married and maybe...even have kids." she carried on. "All I want...is to be where Lily is." I confessed.

_Raychel_  
_Brother! He's in danger!_ A gut feeling, perhaps the special bond which twins share, told me as much. Ayato and I were already halfway to his location. "Raychel, look!" yelled Ayato. I used HOPE's onboard camera to zoom in on the two specks in the distance. My eyes widened in horror. "Charlie! Lily!" I screamed. _Oh no, they'd bailed out! _Nirvash switched herself to 'jet mode' and ignited the boosters.

"Go Nirvash, hurry!" I commanded. The g-force pinned my back against the seat but, I cared not. My one and only concern was rescuing them. _C'mon, c'mon! Faster Nirvash, faster! [Do not fret Raychel, I will reach them in time.]_ I could sense the unshakable determination in her response.

_Twins_  
"CHARLIE! LILY!" they heard someone beckon their names. They opened their eyes. It was Raychel! She was barreling towards them at breakneck speed with typeHOPE's cockpit wide open. "RAYCHEL!" screamed Lily/Charlie. Once HOPE was close enough she switched back to 'lifting mode'. "Grab my hand!" yelled Ayato.

Charlie, still clinging to his love, reached out with his free hand but, missed. He attempted a second and third time but, didn't prevail. "It's no use, I can't reach!" he told them. "Yes you can! Don't give up!" his sister urged. The earth was rapidly approaching us.

Ayato unstrapped his harness. "What are you doing, Ayato?!" yelled Raychel. "Hold my legs, Raychel!" he instructed as he stood up. She grasped them without question. Ayato stretched out his body. "Now, try again!" he ordered. Charlie reached out once more. This time he was successful. "Gotcha!" went Ayato clasping his other hand onto Charlie's arm.

"Pull me in, pull me in!" he instructed Raychel. Adrenaline surging, Raychel used every ounce of strength she could muster within her small, feminine body, to do so. "They're in! Shut the cockpit now!" reported her boyfriend. And HOPE's cockpit closed _without_ it's pilot's help and returned to 'jet mode'. _...Had she actually answered a foreigner's plea?_

Unfortunately, that debate would have to wait. All four of us were still in grave danger, the ground was closing in..._fast_. "Pull up, Raych! Pull up!" urged Ayato. "I'm trying, I'm trying!" went Raychel tugging on the controls. Ayato grabbed his controls. With the combined strength of both pilot and co-pilot, the LFO's nose rose _just_ before impact was imminent. The undercarriage of Nirvash typeHOPE clipped the Scubs, jolting it's occupants. _Luckily for us, that's all we experienced as our mech stabilized._

"Everyone...alright?" asked Raychel in-between heavy breaths as her nerves slowly reposed. The couple in the back seat were still trembling but, at least they were safe. "Y-yeah." responded Charlie. "Oh Charlie, I was so scared!" wept Lily as she buried her head in his chest. "Ayato?" went Raychel still awaiting his response. "C-could you please land us, Raych? I...don't feel so hot." requested a green Ayato. One hand held his stomach, the other was covering his mouth.

As soon as we touched down Ayato crawled out of his cockpit and..._*BLAH!*_ he spewed chunks. _Who can blame the poor kid? A violent ride like that would cause anyone motion sickness, right? _Raychel left the LFO to rub her vomiting boyfriend's back while Charlie continued stroking Lily's head to solace his love as she wept. The couple's foreheads touched and suddenly, there was a dim light. Charlie and Lily's beads began twinkling.

A brand new experience was about to befall them. One meant only to be shared with that special someone... their _only one_. An _extrasensory_ means of communication...telepathy.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER: THE YOUNG LOVERS, NOW SAFE AND SOUND, HAVE FOUND THE ONE THEY WERE MEANT TO BE WITH, HENCE FORTH, FOR ALL ETERNITY. AND IN A MOMENT, THEY WILL_ ALSO _FIND THAT THEY'RE NOW CAPABLE OF SPEAKING IN VERY_ DIFFERENT_ VOICES. CHAPTER 11: VOICES**

**(A/N: Was sick with the flu, and got better. Yay! And now, I have bronchitis! Boo! I just can't win, can I? I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.) R&R  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Voices**

_Charlie_

"Promise me..." sniffled Lily. _Huh?_ "Promise me you'll never do anything so reckless again." she wept. "I..." I stammered. "PROMISE ME!" my only one pleaded. "I...I can't. Gomenasai." I denied. "But why?" she demanded to know. _Because, whenever Lily's in peril, my body takes on a will of it's own. I no longer have control of my actions. _"I just can't." I repeated. _"Baka, just because your body has a will of it's own doesn't mean you have to cave in to it's demands!" _came a voice, Lily's, inside my head.

"Huh?! Lily, d-did you...did you just use telepathy?!" I stuttered. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Just a moment ago, I heard _your_ voice inside _my_ head." I explained. "Really?!" she gasped. I nodded. "Here, I'm gonna try to send you a message." I closed my eyes. _Lily, I love you with all my heart. _Then I awaited a response. _"...And I love you, Charlie." _came Lily's thought-speak. Our eyes widened and we gasped. That's when it hit us. "We can use telepathy!" Lily/I realized awestruck.

_Raychel_

I was still rubbing the hunched over Ayato's back when I heard brother and Lily call out, "Ra-Raychel!" from inside Nirvash. "I'll be right back." I told my ill boyfriend. Ayato just nodded. "What's wrong?" I asked them as I reentered the mech. "We can speak in different voices!" they exclaimed. _Huh?_ "Come again?" I was confused. "Just listen." instructed Lily as she and brother closed their eyes. _Um...okay. _I listened.

_...Nothing. _"Err...what am I supposed to be listening for?" I inquired. Their eyes popped open. "You...can't hear us?" went brother. "Hear you? You haven't said a word over than 'listen'." I argued. They frowned. "I guess...it only works between us." brother had a hint of disappointment in his tone. _What are they rambling about? _"What does?!" I demanded growing tired of their vagueness. "We can use telepathy." they elaborated almost in sync.

"Wait, what?! You mean like our parents can?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. "Yeah, I think so." remarked Charlie. Lily nodded in agreement. I didn't doubt their claim. "Well, I suppose stranger things have happened. I mean, look at us, we're living proof." I thought out loud with a shrug. "Yeah, that's true." brother mused. "When did this happen?" I questioned. "Just a few minutes ago." stated Lily. _Wow, sugoi_.

"Hey Charlie, since we're twins do you think you can receive telepathic messages from me?" I wondered. "Dunno. Try sending me one." he suggested. "Okay." I agreed. I closed my eyes and concentrated. _You two are a bunch of lovesick fools._ "Did you get it?" I asked. He shook his head. "Lily?" he turned to her. "Nothing." she stated. I almost frowned. "So what was it?" inquired Lily. "Oh, that you two were made for each other." I sorta fibbed. "Thanks, sis." went my twin beaming. Lily also looked pleased by my compliment.

_Half an hour later..._

_Charlie_

"How you feeling?" sister asked Ayato. "Better, Sorry about that Raych. Maybe I had too much cake," he apologized with a cheap chuckle. "It's ok we won't tell anybody. Right?" comforted Raychel as she turned to Lily and I. We nodded in agreement. "Thanks guys I appreciate it." he told us. "Hey sis, how did you know Lily and I were in trouble? I mean... we were miles apart." I wondered.

"Honestly, I don't know. I suddenly got this feeling in the pit of my stomach that you needed me." admitted Raychel. "_Maybe it's the bond that twins share_." suggested Lily touching my conscious. "_Yeah, maybe_" I thought replied. I'm _really _enjoying this whole telepathy thing. It's almost made me forget the fact that, not even an hour ago, Lily... and I nearly died... _Almost_.

As we pulled up to Ayato's house to drop him off, sister pulled him close for a parting kiss. I heard her whisper in his ear, "Let's keep the whole'life or death' situation to ourselves, 'kay?" She requested. He nodded. She mouthed, "thanks," then in her normal tone, wished her boyfriend a happy 14th birthday. "Happy 14th birthday Ayato." repeated Lily and I. "Thanks guys. This was definitely my most..._eventful_ birthday ever. Later Chuck, Lil." he remarked. Then with a slight bow and grin directed at sister, "Goodnight, my _hime_." he bid her farewell. "G'night, goofball." chuckled Raychel. HOPE's tires picked up the gravel as they spun, and we were off to our next destination...home.

_Fifteen minutes later..._

_Twins_

Mama, papa, _and _the Sorels were sitting on the front porch waiting for us as we parked our LFO. But, _why_ were they waiting for us? Lily's mother and ours', followed by our fathers, ran towards us and began..._checking_ our bodies. _Why_ were they checking? "Um...mom?" went Charlie. "Are you alright?" she asked. _Wait, there's no way she could've know! We were nowhere near home earlier!_ "We're fine, why?" responded Lily innocently. "See honey? It was nothing." stated Dominic. "It was just a bad dream." added father. _They had a vision?!_

Suddenly mother and father's heads jerked at Nirvash. _Oh crap, is she... _"You almost WHAT?!" bellowed their worried voices as one. _Well, there's our answer. _"What is it?" insisted Anemone. "Nirvash just told us Charlie and Lily fell off their boards today...and almost died!" reported mother. "They WHAT?! Lily Sorel, that is _not_ the definition of 'fine'." scolded her father. _Thanks a lot, Nirvash. [Do not take that tone with me. Not only am I your LFO but, also your guardian. Therefore, it was my duty to inform your parents of today's events.] _came HOPE's telepathic voice. _Yeah, yeah. We know, we know._

_Charlie_

As Lily and I explained what happened our parents noticed we were completing the other's sentences. "What possessed you to leap off your board after her?!" demanded mother when I came to that part. "Lily." I stated flatly. Dominic let a chuckle escape him. "Like father, like son." he remarked. Father face-palmed and shook his head as if he wasn't surprised by my actions. "Yeah, you're right." he reluctantly agreed with his buddy.

"There's more, Lily and I can speak with each other telepathically now. What does this mean?" I inquired. "Yeah, we figured as much since you're now finishing sentences." admitted father. "Yes, but what does it _mean_?" pressed Lily. "In short, it means you two are meant to be together." said Dominic with his arms crossed, looking a bit irritated. However, there was a hint of happiness in his tone. "Congratulations Charlie, you'll never know privacy again." he gave me a pat on the back. "Oomph!" Anemone had swatted him upside the head. "What he _meant_ to say is we're very happy for the both of you, _right_ honey?" she shot her husband a leer. "Right." answered Lily's clearly reined father.

Lily and I shared the same realization, _"We're...meant to be together?" _We blushed at the shared thought. _"I'm glad. Somehow...somehow I always knew it was Charlie who I'd be with...forever." _thought-spoke Lily taking my hand. _"Yeah, me too." _I telepathically replied still clasping her palm.

"You're doing it now, aren't you?" asked father with a smirk referring to our _(Lily and I) _new bond. The biggest smiles touched _our _lips as _we_ replied gleefully in one voice, "Yeah, we are." Father placed his hand atop my head. "I won't condemn you actions, son. However, I can't condone them either. That said, you're grounded for one month. You'll go to school and come straight home. No lifting, surfing, or piloting a LFO. As for your motorbike, it's only to be used to get you to and from school. Am I clear?" he stated. "Yes, father." I accepted the punishment.

"The same goes for you, Lily. One month and you can't see Charlie either." uncle firmly told his daughter. Tears started forming in Lily's glistening brown eyes. _"I don't want that, Chuck."_ she touched my conscious. _"Me neither." _I agreed in her head. Anemone nudged her husband. "Isn't that a bit harsh?" she objected gazing into his eyes. "Fine, you can still see your boyfriend." sighed Dominic lessening her punishment. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lily mouth, "Thank you, mom." with her lips.

_Raychel_

"As for you, Raychel." began father. _Her it comes._ "You did good, we're very proud of you." praised mother. "And Ayato too. From what Nirvash told us, he was very brave." added father. _I'm not in trouble._ "Thanks mom and dad. And I'll let Ayato know that next time I see him." I responded grateful. "Be sure you do." smiled mother. "I will." I promised smiling back.

_The next day..._

_Charlie_

I yawned. "What's the matter? Didn't sleep well?" inquired sister as we walked to class. "I had the _craziest_ dream last night." I stated. "Yeah? What about?" she listened. "It was like I was viewing someone else's memories through _their_ eyes. ...I think they were yours, Lily." I told my girlfriend. Lily's jaw dropped. "No freaking way! You too?! I think I dreamt _your_ memories last night!" she exclaimed. Now _my _jaw dropped. _Ho~ly crap!_

"Why would we dreaming each other's memories?" I wondered. "Maybe it's to help you understand the other better." came Ayato's voice from behind us. "Oh, hey Ayato." greeted Raychel. "Good morning, my _hime._" he said. "I _really _wish you wouldn't call me that in school. It's embarrassing." my twin blushed. "What would you like me to call?" he asked with a smirk. "Oh, I don't know, how 'bout, 'Raych'?" she suggested. "Very well, Raych-_hime._" he teased. She rolled her eyes. "I'm just teasing. I'll stop now." he reassured her as we entered our classroom.

_One week later..._

_Charlie_

"God, I'm so bored!" I groaned. _"How are you holding up, Lil?"_ I touched her conscious. She had just gotten off work and was now stuck at home, much like myself. _"This sucks! We can't do anything." _came her voice. _"Yeah, I know. But hey, look on the bright side." _ I began. _"And what's that, huh?" _she asked. _"At least we can still 'talk' with each other." _I tried lifting her spirits. _"Yeah, you have a point. Y'know, your 'voice' is the only thing that makes it bearable." _she told me. _"Thanks Lil, I love you too. Hey, see if your folks will let me come over. I gotta get outta here, these 'prison walls' are closing in on me." _I jokingly suggested. _"Good idea. While I ask my parents you ask yours, 'kay?" _she replied. _"My dad's in the garage. Gimme a sec." _I informed her.

I found him underneath a LFO he was repairing. "Hey dad?" I called to him. "Yeah, son?" he listened, still working. "Can I go over Lily's, please?" I requested. "What do her folks say?" he inquired. "Lily's asking them now." I stated. _"Hey Chuck, mom said it was okay." _came Lily's voice. I relayed the message to him. "Two hours, then come back home." conditioned father. "Okay, thanks dad." I said as I left. _"I'll be right over. I can only stay for two hours though." _I telepathically informed her. _"Then hurry up, we don't have much time." _she told me.

_(Author's Note: I am not suggesting nor insinuating that Charlie and Lily are up to anything sleazy. They simply want to spend time together. They're still just kids so, if you were hoping for a 'lemon' you won't find one! Maybe when they are like...I don't know, sixteen. Not 14 and 13!)_

_

* * *

_**NEXT CHAPTER: INDEED, THEIR DREAM WERE MEANT FOR THE TWO TO BETTER UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. AND IT BRINGS THEIR YOUNG HEARTS CLOSER. CHARLIE AND LILY CONTINUE TO TOY WITH THEIR NEWFOUND POWER DURING THEIR PUNISHMENT. MEANWHILE, RAYCHEL GOES LIFTING WITH HER DEAR BOYFRIEND. AN INCIDENT OCCURS WHICH REAWAKENS A LONG DORMANT POWER WITHIN HER. WHAT IS IT? CHAPTER 12: POWER OF LOVE**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Power of Love**

_Raychel_  
"Later, I'm going lifting with Ayato!" I announced as I closed the door behind me. "Hey, how much longer am I gonna be stuck in this 'cell', huh?" I heard my twin complain. "Son, stop being so over dramatic." I heard father tell him. _Very funny, Charlie. You're a real card sometimes._

Fifteen minutes later I was standing out the Kamina's. I knocked, Ayato answered. "You ready?" I asked him. "Sure, just lemme get my board." he replied. Ayato disappeared upstairs for a few moments. I whistled to myself while I patiently waited. He reemerged with the refboard tucked under his arm. "Ready." he stated. "Later, mom and dad!" he shouted to his parents. "Have fun. Tell your father I said 'hi', Raychel." his mother requested. "I will, Mrs. Kamina!" I promised. "It's Cheza!" I heard her correct me as Ayato hopped on the back of my bike and we drove off.

_(Renton Thurston) Hillside Hope Park, a little while later..._  
I closed my eyes and raised my hand. I was 'reading' the waves. Ayato held my other hand as he did the same. "Raychel?" went Ayato. "Hmm?" I responded, eyes still shut. "Wanna go to the movies after this?" he suggested. "Sure, I'd like that." I answered, opening my eyes. I gave him a peck on the cheek. We mounted our refboards and soared into the open skies. A flock of skyfish appeared, enveloping us. _Sugoi, look at them all!_ "So pretty." I commented. "Not as pretty as you." interjected my boyfriend smiling at me. I simply smiled back.

I felt the brisk breeze brush against my cheeks, the smell of fresh trapar filled my lungs. It was a bit intoxicating but, not unpleasant. It made me feel...alive. Kinda weird, huh? Dense amounts of trapar are dangerous, they can cause a person to hallucinate. However, this much trapar was perfectly harmless, no immediate danger here.

"Man, the waves are rad today." commented Ayato. "Yeah, no kidding. Hey Ayato, I'm gonna try something." I told him. "What?" he wondered. "Just watch, you'll see." I instructed. "Kay," he said. I've been practicing a trick lately. So far, all my attempts have failed but, this time will be different...I hope. "Don't be for things. Do it yourself, or else, you won't get anything." I chanted to myself. _I can do it, I know I can._

I grabbed my board, bent my knees, and attempted to execute the trick. I spun backward and...success! I landed it! "I did it! I actually did it!" I cheered. Ayato's jaw dropped, awestruck. "Y-you just pulled off a full speed Cutback Drop-Turn! That was so amazing, Raychel!" he exclaimed. "I totally nailed it! Wait 'til the others at school hear about this!" I boasted proudly. "I can't wait to brag about how my girlfriend pulled off one of the hardest lifting tricks!" went my boyfriend enthusiastically. The two of us grinned.

My grin quickly disappeared a second later. "Ayato, watch out!" I yelled. "Wha-?" was all my boyfriend managed to get out before a rogue skyfish sideswiped him, knocking the boy off his board. Ayato fell to the ground and there was a sickening _snap. _"Ayato!" I screamed. I did a 180 and raced to him. I landed, discarded the board, and knelt beside him. He was hunched over in pain holding one of his legs. It was blood-drenched. I placed my hands over it in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "My leg! I think it's broken!" he cried. _The bleeding won't stop. What should I do? ...Help. I need to find help! _"Hold on, I'll go for help! Don't move!" I told him and stood to do just that. As I was turning Ayato suddenly grabbed my wrist. "What is it?" I asked. He began pointing at me. "Raychel, your bead, it's flashing." he said. "What?" I remarked.

Without realizing it the bead on my forehead had started pulsating like a strobe-light. "What the? My leg, it doesn't hurt anymore." said Ayato suddenly. I knelt back down to look at his leg again. "The bleeding, it's stopped." I commented. What neither of us could see was, underneath his skin, the bones and tendons inside his leg were mending themselves. After a few moments the light show emanating from my forehead ceased. Ayato felt his leg, then bent it, and a moment later (much to my disbelief) he stood. I just stared at him, mouth agape, as he did. Ayato stared at his leg, then at me. "Raychel...wha-what did you do?" he stammered.

I stared at my still blood-stained hands. I was asking myself the very same question. _What __did__ I do? _"I...I don't know. I just don't know." I answered trembling a bit. As far as I knew, this ability was new. And...it frightened me that I was capable of such a feat. I felt Ayato's arms wrap around my waist from behind. My trembling stopped. I turned my head around and gazing into his eyes. "I don't know how you did it but, thank you." he said sincerely. "Ayato..." I went. He smiled. "I guess I have something else I can brag about, huh?" he remarked.

"Please, don't." I requested. "Huh? Why not?" he wondered. "Think about it. If others knew then sick people from all over the world would flock to me, asking to be cured. You know me, I wouldn't be able to turn them away. And then...we could never see each other." I answered. "Oh, I guess you're right." he realized. "I just want to be a normal girl...if only for a little while more." I added. "I understand but, what do you mean by, 'if only for a little while more', Raych?" he inquired. I sat down in the grass and motioned for him to do the same, which he did. Then, I proceeded to tell him of the Vodarac Phophecy, something that I never told anyone, not even my closest friends about. He sat and listened to my every word.

_A few minutes later..._

"Well?" I asked him after I'd finished. "Wow," he responded. … "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" I retorted. "No, I believe you. It's just...a lot to wrap my brain around at once, that's all." he replied scratching his head. "You're the first person I've ever told this to." I added, bringing my legs to chest. I rested my chin atop my knees. "Really?" he inquired. I nodded slightly. "Why me?" he pondered. I gazed up at the sky. "Dunno, whenever I'm around you I feel...safe. Like I can talk to you about anything. I trust you." I elaborated as I placed my hand atop his. Ayato smiled and we shared a kiss. "Same here," he said. The two of us just sat there gazing up at the heavens.

_Charlie_

_"__Charlie," _went a familiar voice inside my head. _"__Yes, love?" _I answered knowing full-well who it was. No reply. _"__You there, Lil?" _I questioned. _"Y-yeah. What did you just call me?" _came Lily's voice. _"I called you love." _I repeated. _"__W-why'd you do that?" _she inquired. I could sense embarrassment in her tone. _"__Dunno. Just thought I'd see how it sounded." _I replied casually. _"__Oh," _went Lily.

_"__So how's work going?" _I wondered. _"__Good. It's been kinda slow today. I was just about to take my lunch break." _she informed me. _"__Oh, cool." _I said. _"__Care to join me?" _she suggested. _"__Sorry, can't, still grounded." _I sighed_. "Oh, right." _she remarked. There was a pause. _"Can you try sneaking out? I wanna see you." _went my girlfriend mischievously. _"I miss you too, love. But, I rather not get my grounding extended. Sorry." _I responded. _"__Hey, Chuck?" _began Lily. _"__Yeah?" _I listened. _"__Call me that again." _she requested. _"C__all you what again, Lil?" _I asked. I already knew what she meant, I just wanted to hear her say it. _"__Y'know…love." _she said shyly. I smiled. _"__Of course, love."_ I answered gently. I could sense how happy it made her as soon as I did. _"__Arigatou." _said Lily softly inside my head.

* * *

**A/N: This is not the entire chapter, it's just what I've written so far. As promised, I starting back up on this story. I'm still working on "The Second Star to the Right" so check on that story too every now and again.  
**


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